Ghannouchi summoned to investigate virtual parliament session
The office of Rached Ghannouchi, the head of the Islamist Ennahdha party and the president of the dissolved Tunisian parliament, said Friday that anti-terrorism police had summoned him for questioning over an online parliamentary session this week.
Friday afternoon’s summons followed the summons of other members of parliament who supported or participated in an online public hearing this week to challenge Saied’s earlier announcement of a suspension of parliament. The session angered Saied, who described it as a failed coup attempt.
Ghannouchi was summoned for questioning, although he was not a barricade for the hearing, as he was replaced by his second deputy, Tarek Fetiti.
The Tunisian president’s decision on Wednesday to dissolve parliament after holding the virtual session caused a huge controversy. A number of political forces and national organizations, such as the Labor Union, supported it and some parties, led by Ennahdha, rejected it.
Kais Saied expressed his anger after the parliament’s decision to end the special procedures and presidential decrees and lift the freeze on him.
“I say to the Tunisian people, don’t you all believe that there are institutions of the state in place and there are people who will protect them from those who have the idea of the group, not the idea of the state”, Saied angrily told a meeting of the National Security Council, referring to Ennahdha.
“This is a failed coup attempt and a conspiracy against the internal and external security of the state, and they will be punished”, he said.
After the meeting, Tunisian Justice Minister Leïla Jaffel ordered the public prosecution to open an investigation against the deputies participating in the session to identify the parties behind it.
Witnesses said that a number of MPs had already arrived at the Bouchoucha Terrorism Investigation Headquarters in Tunis. Other MPs gathered to support their colleagues.
Saied said late Thursday night that he would not hold elections in the next three months.
On Friday, the deputy of the dissolved parliament speaker, Maher Modioub, announced to file a complaint against Said with the president and the leading bodies and the human rights committee of the IPU.
These political developments come in light of the economic and financial crisis in the country and in the midst of discussions between the government of Najla Bouden and the International Monetary Fund to obtain funding.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington was deeply concerned about Saied’s dissolution of parliament and reports that he would prosecute deputies who joined the virtual session.
