The movement’s parliamentary bloc expressed its rejection of the dissolution of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM), accusing President Kaïs Saïed of wanting to control the judicial institution.
The parliamentary bloc of the Ennahdha movement expressed, on Thursday, its rejection of the dissolution of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM), by the Head of State Kaïs Saïed, declaring its support for the judges’ protests against this decision.
Saïed had announced, Monday, in a video broadcast by the Presidency of the Republic, the dissolution of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, indicating that “the plan for the dissolution of the Council is ready and will be discussed”.
The bloc of the movement of Islamic obedience (53 deputies out of 217) affirmed, in a press release, its rejection of the declaration of Saïed to “dissolve the Superior Council of the Judiciary, and its dangerous attempt to control this vital institution of the country and to undermine its independence and its constitutional structure”.
He also expressed his “full support for all the struggles announced by the judges to protest against the dissolution of the council”.
On Tuesday, the Association of Tunisian Magistrates (non-governmental) called for the suspension of work in all courts on Wednesday and Thursday, in protest against President Saied’s decision.
The Ennahdha bloc called on “deputies and other parliamentary blocs to persevere in the defense of the legislative institution and that the constitutional institutions resume their functions”.
“Ennahdha calls on all friendly and democratic parliaments to support the Tunisian parliament to restore the country’s democratic path,” reads the same source.
It should be noted that no immediate comment from the Tunisian Presidency was issued on this subject. Notwithstanding, she generally denies such accusations.
The Superior Council of the Judiciary is an independent constitutional body whose tasks include ensuring the independence of the judiciary, holding judges accountable to justice, and granting them professional promotions.
Tunisia has been in the throes of a political crisis since the Head of State decided on July 25 to dismiss the Head of Government, Hichem Mechichi, to freeze the powers of Parliament for a period of 30 days, and to lift the immunity of deputies in the context of emergency measures. Kaïs Saïed had also announced that he was arrogating executive power to himself with the help of a government whose leader he would appoint and proceeded in the following days to a series of dismissals of ministers and senior officials in the apparatus of the state.
The Tunisian President had decided to abolish the provisional body for the control of the constitutionality of bills, to legislate by presidential decrees, and to exercise executive power with the help of a government, while observers and political parties believe that the new presidential arrangements constitute “a coup against the Constitution”.
The majority of parties rejected Saïed’s decisions, extended on August 24. Some parties have called these decisions a “coup against the Constitution”, while other political parties consider them a “restoration of the process”, against the backdrop of political, economic and health crises (Covid-19).
