The Tunisian President, Kaïs Saïed, who has monopolized all the powers since the summer of 2021, decided on Thursday March 9 the forthcoming dissolution of the municipal councils formed in 2018. This is what he announced in a video broadcast in the middle of the night, adding to the dissolution of the councils, “their replacement by special delegations”. The terms of the 350 mayors and municipal councilors currently in place are due to expire at the end of April, and elections were theoretically scheduled to follow.
These municipal councils came for the majority from the legislative election of 2018 which had been marked by the victory of independent lists, followed by the party of Islamist inspiration Ennahda, the pet peeve of Mr. Saïed, and the liberal party Nidaa Tounès. Many municipal councils had then plunged into major internal conflicts, which had resulted in new polls over the past five years.
Mr. Saïed announced two bills concerning these councils: one “concerning the revision of the law on the election of communal councils” and the other “concerning the law for the election of members” of the future Assembly. the regions. This last device will complete the bicameral system that he wants to establish, on the basis of a new Constitution voted by referendum in the summer of 2022. The Parliament – whose prerogatives are very limited – will consist of two chambers: the Assembly of people’s representatives and the Assembly of Regions.
90% abstention in the legislative elections, described as “illegitimate” by the opposition
Kaïs Saïed granted himself all the powers on July 25, 2021, by dismissing his Prime Minister and freezing the Parliament, which was subsequently dissolved, thus shaking the democracy that emerged from the first revolt of the “Arab Spring”. Organized in December and January, the legislative elections to appoint the deputies were marked in both rounds by a very high abstention (nearly 90% of voters) and described by the opposition as “illegitimate”.
“We will continue to march together towards victory,” said Mr. Saïed in his video, before attacking his political opponents. “Today they are demonstrating freely and pretending there is tyranny as they march under police protection. “They want to play the victim,” he added.
Repealed by Mr. Saïed, the 2014 Constitution enshrined the principle of state decentralization, considered a very important achievement by civil society and the many political parties born after the fall of dictator Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, twelve years ago.
