Tunisian President Kais Saied announced Thursday the dissolution of the municipal councils, formed in 2018 and considered achievements of the country’s decentralization processes following the Arab Spring.
The president of the National Federation of Municipalities, Adnane Buasida, admitted that he »expected» this action by the government, while recalling that the idea was to defend the concept of decentralization.
From the opposition, the moderate Islamist party Ennahda has expressed its condemnation of the decision to dissolve the councils and replace them by special representations, a measure which has taken place two months before the expiration of the elected councils’ mandate.
Thus, it has indicated that the measure has been used to »distract public opinion from the multiple crises, especially »the negative repercussions on diplomatic relations for Tunisia, created by the racist discourse against Africans», reports Mosaique FM.
This decision comes in a context of high tensions in Tunisia, after a score of opposition figures and journalists have been arrested in a crackdown criticized by the international community, in the face of what is denounced as an authoritarian drift of Saied, who in July 2021, arrogated to himself all powers after dissolving the Government and the Parliament.
The opposition, mostly grouped around the National Salvation Front, which includes the Islamist party Ennahda – which had the majority in the Parliament suspended in July 2021 – has denounced an authoritarian drift of the president and has demanded his resignation, especially after his call for a boycott in the legislative elections of December and January resulted in a participation rate close to ten percent.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
