2021 Tunisian self-coup

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2021 Tunisian self-coup
Date25 July 2021 – present
(2 years, 9 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Location
Tunisia
Caused by2021 Tunisian protests, COVID-19 pandemic
StatusOngoing
  • President Kais Saied dismisses the government and freezes the parliament
Parties
Lead figures

Kais Saied
(President of Tunisia, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces)
Nadia Akacha
(Director of Presidential Cabinet)
Othman Jerandi
(Minister of Foreign Affairs)

Rached Ghannouchi
(Speaker of the Parliament, Leader of Ennahdha)
Hichem Mechichi
(Prime Minister of Tunisia)
Ali Laarayedh
(Deputy Leader of Ennahdha)
Noureddine Bhiri
(Secretary General of Ennahdha)
Seifeddine Makhlouf
(Leader of Dignity Coalition)
Noureddine Taboubi
(Leader of Tunisian General Labour Union)

The 2021 Tunisian political crisis is an ongoing political crisis in Tunisia between President Kais Saied and the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, led by the Ennahda Movement.

Events

Kais Saied in 2021

The crisis began on 25 July 2021, after Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspended the activities of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People by invoking emergency powers from Article 80 of the Tunisian Constitution.[8] The decisions of the president were made in response to a series of protests against the Ennahdha Movement, economic hardship and spike in COVID-19 cases in Tunisia.[9]

The speaker of the Tunisian parliament and leader of the Ennahda Movement Rached Ghannouchi said the president's actions were an assault on democracy and called on his supporters to take to the streets in opposition.[10]

Protests have taken place in Tunisia both in favor of and in opposition to the president's actions, while the Tunisian Armed Forces have expressed their support for the president's actions.[11][12][13]

On 26 July, Saied also sacked Minister of Defence Ibrahim Bartaji and acting Minister of Justice Hasna Ben Slimane.[14] Mechichi said that he would hand over power to whoever the president chooses, in a step that could ease the crisis. He said that he would serve Tunisia "from any location."[15] Saied also announced a one-month curfew from 26 July to 27 August 2021.[16]

On 30 July, Yassin Ayari, a member of parliament and a known critic of President Saied, was arrested from his house by security forces who reportedly were in plain clothes.[17] President Saied's suspension of the Parliament had stripped lawmakers of their immunity. Accordingly, a military judiciary source said that Ayari was imprisoned due to a previous sentence in 2018 which he incurred for criticising the military.[18] Later on the same day, Maher Zid, another member of parliament, was detained after being sentenced in 2018 to two years in prison for insulting the late President Beji Caid Essebsi.[18]

On 24 August, Saied extended the suspension of parliament although the constitution states the parliament can only be suspended for a month, raising concerns in some quarters about the future of democracy in the country.[19]

On 22 September, President Saied issued a decree that grants him full presidential powers with the potential of the change of Tunisia's constitution, its transformation into a presidential republic and maybe even the dissolution of the parliament.[20] Earlier that day, Seifeddine Makhlouf and Fayçal Tebbini, both members of parliament were jailed.[21]

Reactions

Domestic

  • Former President Moncef Marzouki condemned the actions of the President as a clear "coup," and that "the main idea we have when writing the constitution is to say that the President is no longer the guy who has all the power... Tunisia was supposed to be a success story in the Arab world. But it’s no longer a success story. But let me remind you that we have this political crisis amidst the worst health crisis that we have ever had in Tunisia."[14]
  • Several opposition parties were purported to have begun calls for a national unity government as the only solution.[14]

International

  •  France: The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs has issued a declaration on 26 July 2021 indicating that France wishes the respect of the rule of law and the return, as soon as possible, to the normal functioning of the institutions. France appeals to all political forces to preserve the democratic advances gained.[22]
  •  Germany: Maria Adebahr, a spokeswoman for the Federal Foreign Office, issued a statement saying "Democracy has taken roots in Tunisia since 2011," but that Germany was “very worried”, adding “We don’t want to speak of a coup d’etat. It is important to return to constitutional order as quickly as possible. We will certainly try to discuss (the situation) with the Tunisian ambassador in Berlin, and our ambassador in Tunis is ready to engage in discussions."[23]
  •  Kuwait: Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah said that he spoke with the Tunisian Foreign Minister regarding the recent developments.[14]
  •  Qatar: The Qatar News Agency cited a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Qatar hopes that Tunisian parties will adopt the path of dialogue to overcome the crisis".[23]
  •  Russia: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was monitoring the developments, and that "We hope that nothing will threaten the stability and security of the people of that country."[23]
  •  Saudi Arabia: Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stated that he spoke with Tunisian Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi, and that he "stressed the kingdom’s keenness on the security and stability of Tunisia, and supports everything that would achieve this."[14]
  •  Spain: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation issued a statement declaring that it was following with "concern" the latest developments in Tunisia while calling for "calm and stability" and appealing to the "regular functioning of institutions, with the necessary respect for the rule of law and political freedoms and rights".[24][25]
  •  Turkey: Turkey's Foreign Ministry said that they were deeply concerned, and that "the preservation of Tunisia’s democratic achievements, which is a success story in terms of the democratic process conducted in line with the expectations of people in the region, is of great importance for the region as well as for Tunisia." President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, issued a message on Twitter: “We reject the suspension of the democratic process and the disregard of the people’s democratic will in friendly and brotherly Tunisia. We condemn initiatives that lack constitutional legitimacy and public support. We believe Tunisia democracy will emerge stronger from this process.”[23]
  •  United States: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the United States was "concerned" about the developments, further stating that "We are in touch at a senior level from both the White House and the State Department with Tunisian leaders to learn more about the situation. We urge calm and support Tunisian efforts to move forward in line with democratic principles... There have been a lot of developments even over the last 24 hours. we will look to the State Department to conduct a legal analysis before making a determination [on whether it’s a coup]". William Lawrence of the American University said that there was also no way to review the constitutionality of the president's actions,[14] as a Constitutional Court required by the 2014 constitution hasn't yet been established amongst a lack of consensus between various levels of government.[26]

Media

  • Al Jazeera said that their Tunisian bureau was raided by security forces on 26 July, and that journalists were expelled from the country.[27]
  • Amnesty International called for the government to "publicly commit to respecting and protecting human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly." Both it and Reporters Without Borders condemned the raid on Al Jazeera.[23]

Supranational

  • Arab League Arab League: The Arab League issued a statement, saying in part "The…League urges Tunisia to quickly get through the current turbulent phase, restore stability and calm and the state’s ability to work effectively to respond to the aspirations and requirements of the people."[citation needed]
  • European Union European Union: A spokeswoman for the European Commission stated that "We are closely following the latest developments in Tunisia, [and] call on all Tunisian actors to respect the Constitution, its institutions and the rule of law. We also call on them to remain calm and to avoid any resort to violence in order to preserve the stability of the country."[14]
  • The International Monetary Fund offered to continue assisting the country with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic: "Tunisia continues to face extraordinary socio-economic pressures, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is causing tragic loss of life, and Tunisian’s unmet aspirations for higher, job-rich, and inclusive growth." Tunisia had requested a three-year $4 billion loan "to help stabilise its balance of payments position after its current account deficit widened to 7.1 percent of GDP last year."[23]
  • United Nations United Nations: A spokesperson for Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, Farhan Haq, called on both sides to "exercise restraint, refrain from violence and ensure that the situation remains calm. All disputes and disagreements should be resolved through dialogue."[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kais Saied Says he Values Saudi Arabia's Permanent Support for Tunisia". Africa News. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Egypt vows full support for Tunisian president". Africa News. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  3. ^ "UAE says it supports Tunisian president's decisions". Reuters. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  4. ^ Nedos, Vassilis (2021-09-08). "Greece backs Tunisia's fight for stability". eKathimerini. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  5. ^ "US envoys press Tunisia president on democracy". France 24. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Turkey deeply concerned about suspension of Tunisia's parliament". Daily Sabah. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Tunisia continue to prevent Al Jazeera journalists from working, as channel's office remains shut". Doha News. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Tunisian lawyers, politicians split on constitutional crisis". Reuters. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Tunisie : face au "tsunami" du Covid-19, des hôpitaux débordés". July 2021.
  10. ^ "Tunisia parliament speaker calls for people to enter streets against 'coup'". Reuters. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  11. ^ Amara, Tarek; Mcdowall, Angus (26 July 2021). "Tunisian democracy in crisis after president ousts government". Reuters. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  12. ^ Parker, Claire (26 July 2021). "Tunisia's president fires prime minister, dismisses government, freezes parliament". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  13. ^ Yee, Vivian (26 July 2021). "Tunisia's President Moves to Suspend Parliament and Fire Prime Minister". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h Najjar, Farah; Ibrahim, Arwa (26 July 2021). "Tunisia crisis: Live". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  15. ^ "Tunisia PM says will hand over responsibility to whomever the president chooses". Reuters. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  16. ^ agencies, Staff and (2021-07-27). "Tunisia's president imposes month-long curfew and bans gatherings". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
  17. ^ "Tunisian MP critical of president arrested by security forces". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  18. ^ a b "Tunisian president says he will not become a dictator after MP arrest". Reuters. 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  19. ^ "Tunisia: President extends suspension of parliament". Deutsche Welle. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Tunisia's Saied issues decree strengthening presidential powers". Al Jazeera. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Tunisia military judge jails two members of parliament". Al Jazeera. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  22. ^ étrangères, Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires. "Tunisie (26.07.21)". France Diplomatie - Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (in French). Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  23. ^ a b c d e f "World reacts to Tunisia's political turmoil". Al Jazeera. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  24. ^ "El Gobierno llama a "la calma y a la estabilidad" en Túnez". Cadena COPE. 27 July 2021. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  25. ^ "España hace un "llamamiento a la calma" en Túnez y "apela" al "respeto al Estado de Derecho"". Europa Press. 27 July 2021. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  26. ^ "Tunisian lawyers, politicians split on constitutional crisis". Reuters. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  27. ^ "Al Jazeera condemns raid on its office by Tunisian forces". Al Jazeera. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
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