Tunisia Facing Its Biggest Threat Against Democracy As President Suspends Parliament – The Organization for World Peace
Tunisia currently faces its most critical political crisis since the 2011 revolution that introduced democracy. On Sunday 25 July, President Kais Saied announced that he was removing Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, as well as thedefense and justice ministers. He also said he would suspend Parliament, insisting his actions were in line with the constitution. This intervention was a result of protests around the country over the governments handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a spike in cases. There has also been a drop in the economy and employment. Tunisia is the last living successor of the Arab Spring, but with its president putting a freeze on the entire government, the future of Tunisian democracy seems unstable.
According to The Guardian, President Saieds invoking an emergency article of Tunisias constitution came as a result of the intensified demonstrations against the countrys largest party-the moderate Islamist Ennahda (IE) faction. In his speech, Saiedexplained that Parliament would be suspended for 30 days, though he said it can be extended if needed until the situation settles down.After the announcement, tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of major cities to celebrate the suspension of political parties. However, as he stated he would assume executive authority with the assistance of a new PM, he received major backlash from authorities.
Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahda, said to Turkish television: [K]ais Saied is dragging the country into a catastrophe. Additionally, the political elite emphasizes how the president has failed to deliver the democracy he was elected for. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken encouraged Saied to adhere to the principles of democracy and human rights. He also urged Tunisias leader to keep an open dialogue with all political actors and its people.According to Reuters, the dramatic move has been labeled a coup by some experts, but Saied has rejected all accusations.
With the Tunisian governments failure to handle the pandemic, there has been an outbreak of popular discontent of parliamentary politics. Thousands of people defied COVD-19 restrictions in demonstrations, which sparked clashes with security forces in several cities on Sunday, right before the Presidents announcement. Over 18,000 people among Tunisias population of 12 million have died of coronavirus since the pandemic began. Restrictions have had severe effects on health services and the vital tourism industry. However, President Saieds actions to sack the government and freeze all parliamentary positions are extremely drastic. Many politicians already warn that invoking article 80 of the constitution, which allows the president to take exceptional measures in the event of imminent danger, effectively translates to total executive power for an unspecified period. Putting a hold on the democracy Tunisia has built up over 10 years will impose serious consequences on its citizens.
Tunisia has been recognized as the sole success of the 2011 Arab Spring, but the current crisis has roots in a dispute over the constitution during economic pressures. Throughout his presidency, Kais Saied, an independent without a party affiliation, has made no secret of his desire for a new constitution that puts the president at center stage. Reuters reported that when he was elected president in October 2019, he described his victory as a new revolution. Additionally, he has previously threatened to dissolve parliament as a way to overhaul a complex political system plagued by corruption. However, the biggest dispute has been with the IE and its veteran leader Rached Ghannouchi.
Over the past year, Saied and Ghannouchi have clashed various times over cabinet reshuffles and control of security forces, which has complicated efforts to handle the pandemic and address an expanding financial crisis. Saied was one of the legal advisers who helped draft Tunisias 2014 democratic constitution, although he soon spoke out against elements of the document. Now, the political elite of Tunisias revolution is emphasizing his role as its executioner, claiming the government suspension and freezing of parliament are an attack on democracy.
As protests exploded in January, it was the government and Parliaments old parties that faced the publics anger as COVID-19 cases spiked. President Saieds decision to fire the PM and suspend the government, with plans to reestablish it, has not shown any signs of improvement. He has yet to make any significant moves. The place where the Arab Spring started, is now a test for an administration that pledged to strengthen global democracy. Some experts believe that the Arab Spring is not dead, but Tunisia needs outside encouragement. Particularly, a pushback against the autocrats is needed. The country has received far too little support from other democracies in Europe and the U.S. Their pro-democracy credibility is crucial to support the Tunisian government in re-establishing democracy.
View original post here:
Tunisia Facing Its Biggest Threat Against Democracy As President Suspends Parliament - The Organization for World Peace
- Threats to democracy in the 2nd Trump administration - Niskanen Center - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- North Carolina Supreme Court GOP Candidate Seeks to Tilt the Playing Field in His Favor - Democracy Docket - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Lessons from self-inflicted blows to democracy in South Korea and the U.S. - NPR - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Nowicki: Its a New Year. Will it be the same democracy? - Oregon Daily Emerald - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Democracy depends on obedience - America: The Jesuit Review - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- The rise and fall of Justin Trudeau Democracy and society - IPS Journal - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Not All Elections Are Created Equal - Renew Democracy Initiative - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Kamala Harris says Americas democracy stood, after certifying Trumps election victory as it happened - The Guardian US - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Democracy dies, first, in the workplace: A conversation with Hamilton Nolan and Sara Nelson - The Real News Network - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- The Militia and the Mole: Reporter Josh Kaplan on How a Freelance Vigilante Infiltrated U.S. Militias - Democracy Now! - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- U.S. DOE Selects Nine Organizations for Regional Energy Democracy Initiative in Texas and Louisiana - SolarQuarter - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Everss Direct Democracy Initiative Should Go Directly to the Waste Bin - MacIverInstitute - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Unpacking the Meta Announcement: The Future of the Information Ecosystem and Implications for Democracy - Just Security - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Harris called Trump a danger to democracy. Now she is set to certify his election win - The Independent - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- After a year of elections, whats next for democracy in 2025? - Eco-Business - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Psychological profile of Daniel Ortega and the Crisis of Democracy in Nicaragua - Robert Lansing Institute - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Southeast Asias human rights and democracy: A reflection - The Jakarta Post - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Fareed Zakaria, "The Crisis of Democracy Is Really a Crisis for the Left" / "Why Is the Left Flailing? Look at New York vs.... - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Slotkin prioritizes protection of democracy ahead of U.S. Senate swearing-in - Michigan Advance - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Before preaching democracy, political parties must lead by example: The Daily Star - asianews.network - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Liberal Democracy Shrinks in India, Turkey and the US - IDN-InDepthNews - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- What does an America without democracy look like? Were about to find out. - The Hill - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Biden says Trump is a genuine threat to democracy, scolds reporters - MSN - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Nonprofits Are at the Core of American Democracy. Now Theyre Under Threat - TIME - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- New Congress Takes Office Tomorrow What This Means for Voting Rights - Democracy Docket - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Who were the winners and losers of African democracy in 2024? - RFI English - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Commentary: 2024 saw plenty of elections, little in the way of democracy - Stocktonia News - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Opinion | The crisis of democracy is really a crisis for the left - The Washington Post - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Biden takes departing jab at Trump, says he was a genuine threat to democracy - Fox8tv - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- The Best and Worst of 2024 - Democracy Docket - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Democracy vs. bureaucracy: How populism became the handmaiden of tech - Washington Examiner - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Avery Davis-Roberts former manager of The Carter Centers democracy program gives interview on Carter's legacy - Americus Times-Recorder - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Jimmy Carter sought to expand democracy worldwide long after he left the White House - The Associated Press - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Local news organizations are vital to healthy communities and democracy | Guest Column - Port Townsend Leader - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Daily Briefing Dec. 30: Day 451 Democracy in Syria? De facto leader says not so fast - The Times of Israel - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- What I learned from talking to Atlantans about our democracy this year - Atlanta Civic Circle - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- In Trumps America, Theres Democracy Only When He Wins - Democracy Docket - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Democratic Sen. Andy Kim: 'The opposite of democracy is apathy' - CNN - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Germany, France and Poland condemn violence in Georgia, stress support for pro-democracy movement - The Associated Press - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- The Fulcrum Democracy Forum Meets Tim Shriver, Special Olympics International Board of Directors - citybiz - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- The inspiring resilience of democracy - Financial Times - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Lapid warns Israel must choose between democracy and theocracy - The Times of Israel - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- The People and Groups Who Tried to Disenfranchise Voters in 2024 - Democracy Docket - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Opinion: 2024 was a Year of Elections when democracy lost out - The Globe and Mail - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- PMs wife accuses AG of terrorizing Israeli democracy with probe into her conduct - The Times of Israel - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- South Asia In 2024: Elections, Transitions, And The Struggle For Democracy - thefridaytimes.com - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Uprising for Democracy in the Caucasus - CounterPunch - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Our Country and Democracy Demand Open Hearts and Minds - Washington Monthly - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Hes anti-democracy and pro-Trump: the obscure dark enlightenment blogger influencing the next US administration - The Guardian US - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Column | Musks dangerous, exaggerated conflation of social media and democracy - The Washington Post - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- In a year of global elections, what did we learn about the state of democracy? - NPR - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Opinion | What if Our Democracy Cant Survive Without Christianity? - The New York Times - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- The Future of Democracy and Human Rights in American Foreign Policy - Center for Strategic & International Studies - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Democrats really dont understand democracy, or why they lost the presidential election - OCRegister - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- 'The state of democracy in the world is worse than in the 1930s' - Le Monde - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Musk Shouldn't Be Allowed to Toy With Britain's Democracy - Bloomberg - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Bashar Assad is finished but Syrias fight for democracy is just beginning - POLITICO Europe - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Buying democracy: The corrupting influence of Elon Musk - Counterfire - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Democracy has a good chance of slipping away - The Gazette - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Democracy across the Americas is in crisis - The Conversation - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Human Rights Watch: Israels Extermination and Genocide in Gaza - Democracy Now! - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Another Member of NYC Mayor Eric Adamss Inner Circle Is Indicted - Democracy Now! - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Trumps Presidency Will Unleash Right-Wing Sheriffs Across America - Democracy Docket - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Amid a year of elections around the world, is democracy expanding or retreating? - KUOW News and Information - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Rape Club Prison in California: U.S. Govt to Pay Record $116M to 103 Women Who Sued over Abuse - Democracy Now! - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Donald Trump Tamed the Media. Some Even Paid for the Privilege. - Democracy Docket - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Undermining democracy: The weaponization of social media in Romanias 2024 elections - EDMO - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Rep. Barry Loudermilk pushes democracy to the brink - Baptist News Global - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- A Better World is Possible: Strengthening Civic Participation and Local Democracy Through Participatory Budgeting - Amherst Indy - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Do Not Obey in Advance: Timothy Snyder on How Corporate America Is Bending to Trump - Democracy Now! - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Opinion | Is Democracy Getting Sick of Winning? - The Wall Street Journal - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Redistricting Cases that Could Impact the 2026 Midterms - Democracy Docket - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Opinion | Why Im Not Giving Up on American Democracy - The New York Times - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- NRx: The (underground) movement that wants to destroy democracy - EL PAS USA - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- 25 Years Ago, the Battle of Seattle Showed Us What Democracy Looks Like - The Nation - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Opinion: Georgias civil society is the last line of defense for democracy - Kyiv Independent - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Inflation And Democracy Are Still Tied At The Hip - Forbes - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- The constitutional court is easy to crack: the threats to German democracy go on stage - The Guardian - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Opinion | Why American democracy will survive a second Trump term - The Washington Post - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Opinion | Taiwan Is Ready to Defend Democracy. Is Trump With Us? - The New York Times - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]