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After the head of government was disempowered: Tunisia's president dismisses justice and defense ministers

2021-07-26T16:21:36.875Z


First the Tunisian President Siaed deposed the Prime Minister. Now two other cabinet members have lost their posts. The power struggle leads to unrest in the country.


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Tunisian President Saied (archive photo): Two other cabinet members have been removed

Photo: Chokri Mahjoub / DPA

Tunisia's President Kais Saied has also dismissed the Justice and Defense Ministers after Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.

Saied passed a corresponding decree on Monday, announced the presidential office.

Defense Minister Ibrahim Bartaji and the incumbent Justice Minister Hasna Ben Slimane have to vacate their posts.

The ministries are to be led by lower-ranking officials for the time being.

In a controversial step, Saied had deposed Prime Minister Mechichi by decree on Sunday evening and frozen the work of parliament for an initial 30 days.

The immunity of all MPs was lifted.

Saied announced in an approximately ten-minute speech that he himself would conduct official business with Mechichi's successor in the future.

In addition to a new Prime Minister, Saied also wants to appoint the new members of the government.

The dismissal of Mechichis led to unrest in the country.

Soldiers surrounded the parliament.

In Tunisia, President Saied has been fighting for months with the Islamic-conservative Ennahda party, which includes the deposed Prime Minister Mechichi and Parliament President Rached Ghannouchi.

Among other things, it is about a distribution of power between the president, government and parliament.

Saied's critics, including the Ennahda party, speak of a coup.

The former law professor Saied, on the other hand, asserts that he is moving within the framework of the constitution that came into force in 2014.

In Article 80, this grants him the right to take extraordinary measures in the event of imminent "danger to the unity, security and independence of the country".

However, he has to consult with the head of government for this.

Article 80 does not provide for a right to the complete dissolution of Parliament.

asa / dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-07-26

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