Tunisia president: People's rights, freedoms will not be violated

Tunisian President Kais Saied yesterday pledged not to violate people’s rights and freedoms, while expressing his refusal to hold dialogue “except with honest and committed people.”

Speaking during his meeting with the Director General of the Cereals Office in the Ministry of Agriculture, Bashir Al-Kathiri, at the Republican Palace, Saied said: “There is no dialogue except with honest and committed people who have sensed the people’s demands.”

“No one has been arrested for expressing opinions, as we will not allow rights and freedoms to be violated,” adding that “there is no turning back.”

“There is no way that we would allow anyone to harm the livelihood of Tunisians, the law will be enforced against anyone who tries to tamper with the citizens’ livelihood or attempts to burn fields and forests.”

He explained that “there are free and honourable people in all state departments who will write a new history for Tunisia.”

Saied’s statement comes after Ennahda’s Shura Council called for launching a national dialogue to advance political and economic reforms and end the suspension of parliament.

READ: Tunisia’s president is largely responsible for the disaster that he is trying to fix

On 25 July, Saied cited Article 80 of the constitution to dismiss Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi, freeze the work of parliament for 30 days, lift the immunity of ministers, and appoint himself as head of the executive authority until the formation of a new government.

This comes after violent protests broke out in several Tunisian cities criticising the government’s handling of the economy and the coronavirus. Demonstrators had called for parliament to be dissolved.

The majority of the country’s political parties slammed the move as a “coup against the constitution” and the achievements of the 2011 revolution.