25 July: Referendum on a new constitution begins in Tunisia
New developments in Tunisia over the past few hours in light of the many political tensions there and the attempts of the Brotherhood to influence the situation and cause confusion, riots and violence.
Tunisian President Kais Saied issued a decree calling on voters to vote in a referendum on a new constitution on July 25.
This came after the Tunisian government ratified “a draft decree related to exceptional provisions for a referendum on July 25, 2022”, according to a statement issued by the government after a meeting chaired by Najla Bouden, Wednesday, clarifying that voting will start at 6 a.m. and end at 10 p.m. on July 25.
Last week, law professor Sadok Belaïd was appointed by decree to head an advisory committee that included deans of law and political science to draft a new constitution for the country. The Tunisian president announced the creation of a committee to prepare a draft to revise the constitution of a new republic through a national dialog, from which political parties were excluded.
A Presidential Decree was issued in the Official Gazette to establish an independent national body called the National Consultative Commission for a New Republic to submit a proposal for the preparation of a draft constitution for a new Republic, to be submitted to the President of the Republic.
This week, the Tunisian General Labor Union refused to participate in a limited, authoritative dialog on political reforms proposed by President Saied, considering that it is formalistic and excludes civil forces, and that the dialog is formal in which roles are defined unilaterally and civil forces are excluded, in addition to being consultative and not conducive to results.
Tunisian President Kais Saied has already announced that his government will form a committee to write a new constitution for the country, which will be submitted to a referendum on July 25th.
Tunisian President Kais Saied said in a televised speech: His Government would form a committee to write a constitution for a new Republic of Tunisia, adding that the committee would conclude its work in a few days.
“Pursuant to the Order on Extraordinary Measures (No. 117 of 22 September 2021), a committee will be formed to prepare for the establishment of a new republic, which will complete its work in a short time and within a few days, because the issues and choices are clear, and this committee will consist of two bodies, one of which is for dialog”, he explained. Saied added that the national dialog on reforms will include four main organizations in Tunisia, in reference to the Tunisian General Labor Union, the National Lawyers’ Association in Tunisia, the Tunisian Union for Industry and Trade, and the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights.
In a speech to Tunisians, Kais Saied vowed not to go backwards, saying: There is no reconciliation, no negotiation, no confession with those who have ruined the country and wreaked havoc on it.
“We are fighting a war of attrition in the history of our country and we will defeat it”, he said, noting that “there are parties that are crying for democracy and are trying to assassinate them in all ways”. He noted that there are those who are trying to overthrow the state, tamper with its capabilities, and work to inflame the situation.
This comes after ICFTU Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi warned during a May Day speech that the current state of uncertainty and unilateralism threatens to worsen the situation, obstruct the horizon and hasten the collapse.
At the end of last month, Tunisian President Kais Saied decided, on Wednesday, to dissolve the parliament based on Chapter 72 of the constitution, and President Kais Saied considered the parliamentary plenary session, which was held on that day, as a failed coup attempt.
