Tunisian President Kais Saied, engaged for months in a standoff with the main parliamentary party Ennahdha, froze the work of Parliament and took over the executive power, after a day of demonstrations in the midst of a health crisis.
This dramatic turn shakes the young Tunisian democracy, which has been functioning since the adoption in 2014 of a compromise Constitution according to a mixed parliamentary system, in which the president has diplomacy and security as prerogatives.
"According to the Constitution, I took decisions that the situation requires in order to save Tunisia, the State and the Tunisian people," said Mr. Saied after an emergency meeting at the Palace of Carthage with officials of the security forces.
"We are going through very delicate moments in the history of Tunisia," he added.
He announced that he was freezing the activities of Parliament, and dismissing the head of government Hichem Mechichi from his post.
"The president will take charge of the executive power with the help of a government whose president will be appointed by the head of state," he added.
Horns sounded in the streets of Tunis shortly after this announcement.
The main party in power in Tunisia, the Islamist formation Ennahdha, condemned Sunday evening a "coup against the revolution", after the decision of President Kais Saied to freeze the work of Parliament and to grant himself executive powers.
"What Kais Saied did is a coup against the revolution and against the Constitution, and the supporters of Ennahdha as well as the Tunisian people will defend the revolution," Ennahdha said in a statement posted on his Facebook page
Events in the country
The announcement follows protests in many cities across the country on Sunday, despite a large police deployment to limit movement.
The thousands of protesters notably demanded the “dissolution of Parliament”.
"The Constitution does not allow the dissolution of Parliament but it allows the freezing of its activities," said Saied, relying on Article 80 which allows this type of measure in case of "imminent danger".
Read alsoTunisia receives hundreds of thousands of doses of vaccines and oxygen delivered by France
The president announced that he was in charge of the executive power, with “the help of the government” which will be headed by a new chief whom he will appoint.
He also announced that the parliamentary immunity of deputies was lifted.
Tunisian public opinion is exasperated by the conflicts between parties in Parliament, and by the standoff between the leader of Parliament Rached Ghannouchi - also leader of Ennahdha - and President Saïed, which paralyzes the public authorities.
An unprecedented health crisis
She also denounces the government's lack of anticipation in the face of the health crisis, leaving Tunisia short of oxygen.
With nearly 18,000 deaths for 12 million inhabitants, the country has one of the worst death rates in the world in this pandemic.
Several thousand Tunisians demonstrated on Sunday against their leaders, in particular against the Islamist formation Ennahdha.
They shouted slogans hostile to this formation and to the Prime Minister it supports, Hichem Mechichi, chanting "the people want the dissolution of Parliament".
"Regime change" was also written on signs.
Read also Covid-19 in Tunisia: the Minister of Health sacked in the midst of the crisis
The premises and symbols of Ennahdha were targeted.
Calls to demonstrate on July 25, the feast of the Republic, had been circulating for several days on Facebook, from unidentified groups.
They demanded, among other things, a change of the Constitution and a transitional period leaving a large place for the army, while maintaining President Saïed at the head of state.