“The Change of Constitution Was Absolutely Necessary”

What do you make of the prevailing situation in Tunisia?
The change of constitution in Tunisia was not surprising because it came under very difficult circumstances. After realising that his vision for the country was being perturbed, President Kais Saied decided to take certain measures to put things right. The first was to suspend Parliament and the judiciary. The change of constitution and organisation of referendum on July 25, 2022 falls within the President’s powers. There is no violation of the constitution. It is now left for the different political stakeholders, especially opposition parties, to get set for regional and parliamentary elections as provided by the new constitution.

Was the change of constitution absolutely necessary?
From the stand point of view of President Kais Saied, the change of constitution was absolutely necessary. This is because the old constitution made it virtually impossible for the government to work and pass certain decisions without submitting them to the National Assembly which was largely dominated by Ennadha party. Successive changes of Prime Ministers and the incessant blockage of several reforms attest to this. Under the new constitution, the President will be able to appoint the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers on the Prime Minister’s suggestion. This would strip Parliament of much of its current input in government formation. The roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches also appear reduced and would go from being designated as “powers” to simply “functions” of the state. In a further reversal, the government would pivot from being answerable to the Parliament to being answerable to the President. The new document also allows the President to introduce his own legislation, including on the economy, which would take precedence over Parliament’s own. But from the opposition point of view, the change of constitution was not necessary. It is a very big setback for the Tunisian people and democracy, according to them. 

Opposition parties and the civil society campaigned against these changes. Was this justified?
The ...