The Tunisian president, who has monopolized all powers since the summer of 2021, decided on Thursday March 9 the imminent dissolution of the municipal councils, formed in 2018 and considered as an important achievement of the young Tunisian democracy after the 2011 Revolution.
Kaïs Saïed, in a video broadcast in the middle of the night, announced the upcoming review of a law on "
the dissolution of all municipal councils and their replacement by special delegations
".
The mandates of the 350 mayors and municipal councilors, currently in place, must expire at the end of April, and elections were theoretically planned in stride.
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two bills
These municipal councils came for the majority from the legislative election of 2018 which had been marked by the victory of independent lists, followed by the party of Islamist inspiration Ennahdha, the pet peeve of Kaïs Saïed, and the liberal party Nida Tounes.
Many municipal councils had then plunged into major internal conflicts, which had resulted in new polls over the past five years.
Kaïs Saïed announced two bills concerning these councils: one "
concerning the revision of the law on the election of communal councils
" and the other "
concerning the law for the election of members
" of the future Assembly of regions.
This last device will complete the bicameral system that it wants to establish, on the basis of a new Constitution voted by referendum in the summer of 2022. The Parliament, whose prerogatives are very limited, will consist of two chambers: the Assembly of people's representatives and the Assembly of Regions.
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"They want to play the victim"
Kaïs Saïed granted himself all the powers on July 25, 2021, by dismissing his Prime Minister and freezing the Parliament, which was subsequently dissolved, thus shaking the democracy that emerged from the first revolt of the Arab Spring.
Organized in December and January, the legislative elections to designate the deputies were marked in both rounds by very high abstention (nearly 90% of voters) and described by the opposition as “illegitimate
”
.
"
We will continue to march together towards victory
," proclaimed Kaïs Saïed in his video, before attacking his political opponents.
“
Today they are demonstrating freely and pretending there is tyranny as they march under police protection.
"
They want to play the victim
," he added.
Repealed by Kaïs Saïed, the 2014 Constitution enshrined the principle of the decentralization of the State, considered a very important achievement by civil society and the many political parties born after the fall of dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali there at the age of 12.
