Tunisia, the voice of the jasmine revolution: ‘there is fear, let’s move towards authoritarian government’

In Tunisia “today there is great fear” because “we are heading towards an authoritarian government”. Word of Zied El Heni, the country’s most famous blogger who first coined the expression ‘Jasmine Revolution’, the revolt that started the so-called Arab Spring, and who in an interview with Aki-Adnkronos International comments on the crisis policy that began with the decision of President Kais Saied to suspend the work of Parliament, revoke the immunity of deputies and impose the resignation of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi. “Saied took advantage of popular discontent against the entire political class, with the Islamist party Ennahda in the lead, to carry out a coup d’état under constitutional cover, effectively violating the Constitution”, says El Heni, referring to the president’s announced appeal. Article 80 of the Constitution. But contrary to the provisions of this article, which requires the president “in case of imminent danger that threatens the national integrity” to consult with the head of government and the President of Parliament, Saied ” he did not consult anyone, he froze the work of parliament and dissolved the government. In addition, he decided to assume all executive powers, enact by-laws and proclaimed himself head of the general prosecutor’s office. Then he took over the executive powers , legislative and judicial “, underlines the blogger, according to which” the situation can only get worse “. For El Heni, Tunisia faces two main challenges. The first, he explains, is a pandemic that “causes dozens of deaths every day”. The second is socio-economic in nature and points out that “tens of thousands of young people just want to take the ‘death fishing boats’ and flee the country in search of a better future on the other side of the Mediterranean”. “With the Jasmine Revolution of 2011, we aspired to break definitively with the Third World dictatorial culture and to classify ourselves among the free nations, where the rulers come to power through the ballot boxes and always leave it through the ballot boxes if people are not satisfied with their work – he adds – Unfortunately with Kais Saied we have taken steps backwards and a dictatorship is established amid the applause of a people new to democracy “.