Tunisia: defying President Kaïs Saïed, Parliament suspended announces a plenary session

The meeting was decided by the Assembly Office, a body that brings together the Presidency of Parliament and party representatives sitting there.

Le Monde with AFP

The Tunisian Parliament announced Monday 28 March the holding of a plenary session on Wednesday, defying the President Kaïs Saïed who suspended the House and arrogated the full powers in July 2021. The holding of this session was Decided by the Office of the Assembly of People’s Representatives, a body that brings together the Presidency of Parliament and party representatives sitting there.

This office “decided the holding of a plenary session Wednesday to review the cancellation of exceptional measures [decided by President Saïed] and another Saturday devoted to the dangerous financial and socio-economic situation”, according to a Communiqué of Parliament. The latter, chaired by the head of the Islamist-inspired party Ennahda Rachet Ghannouchi, does not specify whether this plenary will take place in his seat, closed since the coup of the president, or online.

After months of political blocking, Mr. Saïed, elected at the end of 2019, has arrogated the full powers on July 25, 2021 by liming the Prime Minister and suspending the Parliament. On September 22, he formalized his strength with a series of “exceptional measures” which allow him to govern by decree.

The announced plenary session may exacerbate the political crisis in the cradle of “Arab Spring” as the country is also facing a serious socio-economic crisis. Even before the announcement of this session, Mr. Saïed had suggested that he would forbid her, affirming on the tone of irony to the deputies they could meet “in a space shuttle”.

/Media reports.