The Tunisian Ennahda movement called on Tuesday for the opening of an investigation into the leak of a document that evokes an alleged coup by the Tunisian presidency against the government.
What emerged from a statement released on Tuesday by the movement, which constitutes 52 deputies out of 217 members of the parliament, following leaks published by the Britain-based Middle East Eye, on Sunday, evokes an alleged coup against the government prepared by parties close to the Tunisian presidency.
The Ennahda Movement, which strongly condemned the contents of the leaked document, called on all national organizations, parties, civil society activists, and all democrats to “form a national front to defend democratic processes, rights, and freedoms.”
The Middle East Eye published on Sunday the document concerned, which it said came from a “leak from the office of the director of the presidential cabinet, Nadia Akacha, dated May 13, 2021, referring to the preparation of a coup d’état in Tunisia.”
According to the document, “President Kais Saied’s advisors advocated for a recourse to Article 80 of the Constitution and declaring a “state of emergency” in order to concentrate all powers in the hands of the President of the Republic.”
The Tunisian presidency made no official comment on the leaks until now.
In addition to the serious economic crisis, exacerbated by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tunisia is grappling with a political crisis. Disputes weigh on relations between the President of the Republic Kais Saied and Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, due to a cabinet reshuffle announced by the latter on January 16.
Despite the approval of the reshuffle by the Parliament, Saied refuses to invite the new ministers to take the constitutional oath before him, considering that the reshuffle is marred by “violations”, which Mechichi rejects.
