Kais Saied: I’m not a dictator

Tunisian President Kais Saied denied on Thursday any attempts to become a dictator, saying he is a man of dialog and negotiations.

Speaking to reporters in front of the Euro-African Summit Meeting in Brussels, Saied said, according to Tunisian private radio Mosaïque FM, in response to his accusation that he is a dictator, As General (Charles) de Gaulle (former French President) said, it is not at this age that I begin a dictator

There will be exits, talks and negotiations, and I am a professor of constitutional law, Saied said. I can only be in the context of the state of law and institutions.
As for what he will present at the summit, Saied said, I am attending this summit; Let me talk about the reasons that led us to these situations, and let us talk about new ways in which we can overcome these issues.

On July 25, Saied imposed extraordinary measures, including freezing the parliament’s powers, passing legislation by presidential decrees, dismissing the government, and appointing new ones.

For more than 70 years and the situation is worsening, we have gained our independence, but there must be equal cooperation with all parties, he said.
Saied called for addressing the causes of the deteriorating situation in Africa and for returning wealth and money looted from the continent.

According to a video posted on the Tunisian presidency’s Facebook page, Saied said: The return of wealth and money looted from African countries to their peoples is essential at a time when these peoples are living in a deteriorating situation at various levels.

Our approach will be to build new relations between the countries of the African and European Union, based on the principles of solidarity and openness, he said.
Countries (referring to European countries) interfere in other (African) affairs, Saied said, saying: They talk about the independence of the judiciary while they cover up crimes and steal peoples’ wealth.

The Tunisian president called for addressing the real causes of the deteriorating social, economic and political conditions in the African continent, according to the same source.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced on Thursday his country’s support for President Saied’s efforts to overcome challenges and achieve stability in his country.
During his meeting with Tunisian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the Euro-African Summit, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi affirmed his country’s keenness to push forward the frameworks of bilateral cooperation with Tunisia and its continued support for the measures and efforts made by President Kais Saied to overcome all challenges and achieve stability and security in the country.

The meeting touched on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation frameworks between the two countries, and the exchange of views on a number of regional issues of common interest, according to the Egyptian presidency.
The Tunisian presidency statement said that Saied and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed their keenness to continue the strength of historical ties and their determination to consolidate dialog and consultation to further advance relations between the two countries.

The talks also touched on bilateral and regional issues of common interest, as well as the topics discussed at the current session of the European and African Union summit in Brussels, the statement added.
The International Trade Union Confederation said Wednesday that the world was in shock at what it called the abandonment of democratic optimism in Tunisia.

In a video speech at the opening of the 25th Congress of the Tunisian General Labor Union in the city of Sfax, UGTT Secretary-General Sharan Burrow said, Saied has changed his democratic approach and installed himself as the governor by his command, and the only decision-maker in Tunisia, this is particularly shocking to us.

President Kais Saied has been under fire, with the head of the frozen Tunisian parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, saying on Thursday that parliament would return.
Ghannouchi’s statement was the president’s clearest challenge, telling an opposition meeting that the people will get rid of the dictatorship and calling on the opposition to unite to face this setback.
Parliament is bound to have its members back…, he said.
This month, the President also dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council, one of a few institutions that remained independently of him after parliament was frozen and the anti-corruption body was shut down.
Saied has also strengthened his grip on the judiciary by decree allowing him to dismiss judges or prevent their promotion, helping him consolidate his power amid domestic and foreign criticism.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed concern Wednesday after Tunisian President Kais Saied gave himself sweeping powers over the judiciary.
Le Drian’s position came despite the fact that French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly expressed his support for Tunisia and President Kais Saied, especially the exceptional measures.
On several occasions, the Tunisian president called his French counterpart to inform him of the measures he would take to reform the internal situation and confront corruption.
For his part, the French President has repeatedly affirmed his country’s support for Tunisia, especially in the economic field, expressing his understanding of the many issues and difficulties that the Tunisian state is going through.