More than 2,000 people demonstrated in Tunis on Sunday, Tunisia's Independence Day, against President Kaïs Saïed and his online consultation organized for major political reforms.
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“
Down with the coup!
“, “
The people want to dismiss the president
”, “
No to the consultation!
“, chanted the demonstrators gathered at the call of the movement “Citizens against the coup” and the Islamo-conservative party Ennahdha, according to AFP journalists on the spot.
Disappointed voters
The coup by President Saïed, who assumed full powers on July 25 and has since governed the country by decree, was, from the start, described as a “
coup d'etat
” by his opponents.
Several demonstrators are disappointed Kaïs Saïed voters, such as Mounira Bouazizi, a human rights activist blogger who voted for him in 2019. “
I thought he believed in democracy and the achievements of the Revolution and he did everything otherwise
,” she told AFP.
“
You can't call it a democratic process.
Today the people are divided between pro and anti-Kaïs Saïed, it harms freedoms and democracy
, ”supported Mohammed, a retiree.
A “scam against the people”
Waving Tunisian flags, the protesters marched towards Parliament in the Bardo district, but were blocked by a large police force.
“
We will not accept the results of the consultation, this scam against the people
”, launched to the crowd Samira Chaouachi, vice-president of the Assembly of the representatives of the people, the Parliament frozen since July 25.
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A few hours before its closing on Sunday, the electronic consultation launched on January 15 by the president, recorded only 508,000 participants, less than 10% of the electorate (of 7.07 million), according to official statistics.
The answers must serve as the basis for political reforms that will be worked out by a commission of experts appointed by the president.
A referendum must then be organized in July on amendments to the Constitution that Kaïs Saïed wants to make more “
presidential
”, before new legislative elections planned for mid-December.
“We are in the midst of a political crisis”
"
Our condolences for the consultation, President Saïed
", mocked the crowd of demonstrators.
“
We want early presidential and legislative elections.
We are in the midst of a political crisis and we must have a political dialogue that will save the country
,” Yamina Zoghlami, a member of Ennahdha, told AFP, saying she feared “
a Lebanese scenario
” for her heavily indebted country and who demanded further assistance from the IMF.
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The demonstrators also demanded the release of the former President of the Bar Association Abderrazek Kilani, arrested at the beginning of March on the orders of the military justice system for "disturbing public order with the intention of opposing the application of the law".
A respected figure in Tunisia, Abderrazek Kilani is a member of the defense committee of Ennahdha number two Noureddine Bhiri, who is also being prosecuted.