Tunisian President Kais Saied announced that more than half a million Tunisians participated in the popular electronic consultation, which ended on Sunday.
This is what emerges from his speech delivered to the Tunisians, on the occasion of the commemoration of independence, late in the evening of Sunday, after a long meeting of the Council of Ministers at the Palace of Carthage, broadcast on official television.
On Sunday, Tunisia celebrated the 66th anniversary of independence (1881-1956), which corresponds to March 20 each year.
“More than half a million have participated in the electronic consultation, up to tonight (Sunday), despite campaigns of scorn, misinformation and obstacles by parties (without naming them). Participation in this unique process was interrupted by those who wanted to thwart the will of the people. They (without naming them) found no argument, no evidence, so how can they despise this unprecedented historical effort (referring to electronic consultation) “, he explained.
The President pointed out that “a popular referendum will be held on July 25, with everyone participating to express their opinion on the nature of the political system, and then a committee will later start to formulate the results of the referendum in a law, which preserves rights and freedoms. Thus, the people will have their say in the organization of the elections on December 17th”.
“We aspire to a new Tunisia and a new republic. It is undeniable that the Tunisian people have started to move steadily towards this,” he added.
In mid-January, Saïed announced the launch of a national consultation via an electronic platform which ends on March 20, with the aim of strengthening the participation of citizens in the democratic transition process, according to a previous press release from the Presidency.
While the opposition forces claim that Saïed is trying through this consultation to make amendments, in particular to the Constitution, in order to strengthen the process of concentrating all powers in his hands.
Since last July 25, Saïed has taken “exceptional measures”, in particular the freezing of the powers of Parliament, the promulgation of laws by presidential decrees, the dismissal of the government.
The majority of political and civil forces in Tunisia reject these measures and consider them a “coup against the Constitution”, while other forces support them, seeing them as a “recovery of the 2011 revolution”, which ousted then-president Zine Abidine Ben Ali.
