SWANA collective members devote our weekly half-hour to discussing the situation in Tunisia where—as we mentioned in August—the President Kais Saied dissolved Parliament and took the government into his own hands. Last week, he appointed a new Prime Minister, a fellow academic and a woman, Najla Bouden. We will discuss what the implications of this move are and whether Saied’s autocratic rule is beginning to lose its initial popularity. Saied announced in late July that he was invoking Article 80 of the country’s constitution, allowing him to dismiss Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspend parliament. Although Saied’s move was initially greeted with celebration by people in the streets, given the unpopularity of Mechichi and his ruling Ennahada party, many--including Al Jazeera (whose Tunis office was shut down by the police in retaliation)—have seen this as a coup. Since July, opposition has been growing to Saied, in part from political parties and the media, including former allies, but also from the so-called “street”. In late September, the first major demonstration against his coup, as they called it, took place in Tunis. The General Labor Union (UGTT) has also spoken out against his extended rule, calling it a violation of the Constitution. Last week, Saied appointed a new Prime Minister, Najla Bouden, a woman and a fellow academic, a geologist by training, as well as a long-serving civil servant. In this show, Hamoud Salhi discusses with David Lloyd the background to Saied’s constitutional coup, the question as to whether he is gradually losing his legitimacy as his monopolization of power continues, and whether his appointment of Najla Bouden will have a transformative impact or merely consolidate his control.
