Tunisian democracy in crisis after president ousts government – Reuters

Tunisian democracy in crisis after president ousts government – Reuters

TUNIS, July 26 (Reuters) - Tunisia faced its biggest crisis in a decade of democracy on Monday after President Kais Saied ousted the government and froze parliament in a move which appeared to be backed by the army but was labelled a coup by foes including influential Islamists.

It follows months of deadlock and disputes between Saied, a political independent, Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and a fragmented parliament as Tunisia has descended deeper into an economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, the head of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party which has played a role in successive coalitions, decried it as an assault on democracy and called on Tunisians to take to the streets in opposition.