Tunisia’s suspended parliament should not be reinstated after President Kais Saied seized political power in July, said the Secretary-General of Tunisia’s powerful General Labour Union (UGTT) while also calling for fresh legislative elections.
On Sunday, UGTT Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi said he was reiterating the UGTT’s spokesperson’s stance who urged Tunisians not to reinstate parliament. He had previously stated that Tunisians had suffered from the actions of the now-frozen parliament.
On July 25, President Saied seized nearly all powers in Tunisia by suspending the parliament and dismissing the government in a move his critics called a coup, prior to installing a new prime minister and announcing he could rule by decree.
Promised to uphold rights and freedoms won in the 2011 revolution that brought democracy, the president said his actions were needed to end governmental paralysis after years of political squabbling and economic stagnation.
Many Tunisians have repeatedly protested against his actions, with thousands having rallied during the week on the streets of the capital to demand that Saied restore the parliament and normal democratic rule.
In a phone call he had with Saied following Sunday’s anti-government protests, Taboubi expressed that the president was “open” and “listening” to find a solution to the ongoing crisis.
Taboubi also said it is essential for the government to review the country’s electoral law to hold legislative elections as soon as possible.
