OP-ED: Tunisia on the brink: swift action needed to halt democratic erosion

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Acclaimed as the success story of the Arab spring protests a decade ago, Tunisia’s democratic transition is now on a precipice. A proposed referendum on 25 July will continue the process of President Kaïs Saïed consolidating his power.

Tunisia will slide further into authoritarianism if nothing is done by the international community – and especially Tunisia’s main allies, the US and the EU before a crucial referendum is held in a month’s time.

In response to the protests, and rather than facilitating an inclusive approach in dealing with concerns raised by protesters, President Kaïs Saïed started a process in July 2021 of consolidating power in his hands, by dismantling institutions that provide checks to government excess. With an eye to elections planned for December 2022, Saïed started an online “public consultation” to discuss the state of politics in Tunisia that is planned to culminate in a referendum on a new constitution on 25 July 2022. The new constitution is likely to be used to legalise the actions of the president. Once elections are held in December, the parliament Saïed suspended in July last year will be dissolved.

The implications will be huge for Tunisia and the North Africa region. The President will have control over the executive and the legislature and is likely to target human rights groups and media outlets that raise concerns over his actions, forcing many into self-censorship.

 

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We all had such high hopes for the African Spring. That hope has died. Arab and African countries just cannot get this democratic thing right. Too many Totalitarians abound in these societies. Dicktators rise on every street. It is heartbreaking.

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