The main parliamentary formation in Tunisia, Ennahdha, on Tuesday April 20 accused the head of state Kais Saied of obstructing the democratic process and of having "
authoritarian
"
tendencies
, a sign of the depth of the conflict that continues between two camps.
Kais Saied, a fierce independent whose prerogatives are in theory limited to diplomacy and defense, has repeatedly rejected decisions passed by Parliament.
Read also: In Tunisia, a battle at the top of the executive
The new accusations of the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party come after a Sunday speech by Kais Saied in which he felt he was the supreme commander of the military, but also civilian, police, etc. Article 77 of the new 2014 Constitution stipulates that the President of the Republic is "
the high commander of the armed forces
", without further clarification. "
The President of the Republic is the high commander of the armed forces, including the civilian armed forces
", launched Kais Saied, legal arguments in support.
This declaration "
is a violation of the Constitution and the laws of the country
", reacted Ennahdha in a statement. The party accused the president of encroaching on the “
prerogatives of the head of government
” Hichem Mechichi, in “
violation of the political system
”. Ennahdha, who supported Kais Saied during the presidential election in 2019, has been in conflict with the president for many months, with no end to the crisis in sight.
The Head of State criticizes him for his compromises and political alliances, while the party that won the legislative elections of 2019 is far from being in the majority in a fragmented Parliament. Kais Saied was especially opposed to a large reshuffle decided in January but never implemented, leaving several ministries with interim incumbents. Several actors have called in recent months for a national dialogue, but to no avail.
Refusing "
the authoritarian tendency of the Head of State
", Ennahdha called on Tuesday "
the democratic forces to reject it (...) and to set up the Constitutional Court
", the keystone of democratic institutions in particular responsible for deciding in case of conflict of power. The party, which also accuses Kais Saied of obstructing the establishment of the Constitutional Court, called on the president to "
stop any attempt to block the cogs of the state
".