Tunisian President Kais Saied has extended the suspension of parliament. A post on the Tunisian Presidency’s official Twitter account said early Tuesday that Saied issued a “presidential decree extending the exceptional measures enacted under Decree No. 80 regarding the suspension of Parliament and lifting of the parliamentary immunity of its MPs until further notice.”
Saied will deliver an address to the Tunisian people “in the upcoming days,” it added.
Tunisia, widely seen as the sole democratic success story of the Arab uprisings, has been in turmoil since Saied invoked a series of extraordinary measures in late July that included sacking prime minister Hichem Mechichi and freezing parliamentary work for an initial 30 days.
Saied, an ex-law professor, defended his divisive moves, saying they were in line with the constitution and promised to safeguard freedoms and rights. His opponents have condemned his actions as a coup.
He has since dismissed dozens of government officials and several critics of the president have been arrested or placed under house arrest.
Tunisia has also been struggling with a severe economic crisis for a long time and has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
