Tunisian protesters decry constitutional reform plans, judicial purge
Tunis, Tunisia – (AFP)
Hundreds demonstrated on Sunday in Tunisia’s capital against a planned referendum on constitutional changes and President Kais Saied’s recent firing of dozens of judges.
The new constitution is the centrepiece of reform plans by Saied and is set to go to referendum on July 25, exactly one year after he sacked the government and suspended parliament.
He has steadily extended his power grab since then, including by dissolving parliament in March. Earlier this month he sacked 57 judges, after accusing many of corruption and other crimes.
Rights groups have condemned Saied’s firing earlier this month of the 57 judges as a “deep blow to judicial independence”.
Saied is a former law professor elected in 2019 amid public anger against the political class in the North African nation.
He has organised a “national dialogue” around the constitutional reforms, but opponents including the powerful UGTT trade union confederation have boycotted it, on the grounds that it excludes key civil society actors and political parties.
A draft of the new constitution is due to be presented to Saied on Monday ahead of a referendum in the form of a simple yes/no vote.
Saied’s opponents accuse him of moving the only democracy to have emerged from the Arab Spring uprisings back towards autocracy.
Some Tunisians however support his moves against a system they say achieved little in the decade since the 2011 revolt that toppled dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Legislative elections are planned for December.
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