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Riots in Tunisia: clashes between Ennahdha supporters and the police
Photo: Chedly Ben Ibrahim / NurPhoto / Getty Images
After President Kaïs Saïed's disempowerment of the government in Tunisia, the largest deposed parliamentary group has declared itself ready to hold early elections.
"For the sake of the democratic path," said the ruling Ennahdha party, she was ready for early parliamentary and presidential elections.
She warned against using a delay as an "excuse to maintain an autocratic regime."
Before the elections, however, "Parliament must resume its work and the military end its control," said a high-ranking functionary of the Islamist party, Noureddine B'Hiri, the AFP news agency.
On Sunday evening, President Saïed surprisingly announced the dismissal of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and the temporary suspension of parliamentary work and declared that he would take over the business of government together with a new head of government.
(Read more about this here.)
This was preceded by protests against the government's corona crisis management in several Tunisian cities.
While Saïed insisted that his actions were in line with the constitution, Ennahdha accused him of a coup.
Internationally, the political crisis in Tunisia was a cause for concern.
The European Union called for democracy to be preserved.
The US government also called on Saïed to respect the "principles of democracy and human rights".
Tunisia has long been considered a model country for the Arab Spring, which ended the rule of long-term ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
However, there have been nine different governments in ten years since then.
Some only lasted a few months, which made the urgently needed economic and administrative reforms de facto impossible.
asa / AFP