Tunisian President Kais Saied has announced that a high committee will be formed to prepare for the establishment of a new constitution.
Saied addressed broadcast on state television Wataniya1 that “the committee will be made up of two bodies, one will be in charge of national dialogue convening political and socio-economic actors, while another will complete the process with all legal, logistical and institutional organizational aspects.”
“Our historical responsibility prompted us to confront multiple challenges and to find solutions, especially in the face of some parties continuing to exacerbate the situation in the country,” Saied said.
Kais Saied had last week seized control of the country’s independent electoral commission, the latest democratic safeguard to fall since his power grab last July.
Vowing to clean up corruption, Saied over the past year has systematically dismantled the most important institutions created through Tunisia’s Arab Spring transition — including the constitution, the parliament, the high judicial council and even the anti-corruption commission.
Instead, Saied has relied on the police and military courts to harass, detain and prosecute his political opponents.