Kaïs Saïed, the Tunisian head of state, announced in a short press release on the extension of the state of emergency in Tunisia. The text states that the exceptional measures taken on 25 July, in accordance with Article 80 of the 2014 Constitution, are extended.
One month ago, the Tunisian presidency had invoked an “imminent danger” to national security before taking these exceptional measures which is extended until further notice.
These exceptional measures include the freezing of the work of the House of Representatives, which means the waiver of the immunity of deputies. Several of them have since been charged with corruption. Kaïs Saïed too dismissed it Prime Minister in officeand took all the powers for a month. The wave of popular sympathy enjoyed by the Tunisian president risks turning against him if the crisis continues.
A speech by the President “in the coming days” The press release from the Tunisian Presidency states simply that the head of state “will make a statement to the Tunisian people in the coming days”, without further details.
According to several observers, the renewal of the exceptional measures was expected, given the slowness of the decisions and the delay in the appointment of a head of government. On several occasions, relatives of Kaïs Saïed had announced that this appointment was imminent, which is still late.
As a reminder, this July 25 crisis was the culmination of a clash between the three Presidencies of Tunisia, following the Prime Minister’s support of the majority coalition in parliament, which is dominated by the Islamist movement Ennahda whose social and economic policies upset the Tunisian street.
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