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Rached Ghannouchi, head of the moderate Islamist Ennahda, said
President Kais Saied's suspension of parliament, assumption of
executive powers and move to rewrite the constitution had
isolated Tunisia.
Ghannouchi was speaking in an online meeting of some parliament
members, the first since Saied froze the chamber in July and a
more assertive sign of defiance against the president.
Members from Ennahda, Heart of Tunisia and Karama parties, as
well as at least one independent parliamentarian, attended.
Several other parties boycotted the meeting.
"The coup led to international isolation and the cessation of
support from the financial partners... price inflammation and a
social situation that threatens to explode," Ghannouchi said.
The meeting was to mark the anniversary of the 2014 democratic
constitution, which Saied says he will replace through a process
that has started with an online consultation.
Tunisia faces a looming public finances crisis after years of
stagnation but painful reforms needed to secure international
assistance risk sparking social unrest. Unemployment is running
at about 18%, up from 15% in 2019, but is far worse in Tunisia’s
impoverished interior, where it exceeds 30% in some cities.
Anger over economic conditions has frequently boiled over into
street protests or clashes between demonstrators and police
during the decade since Tunisia's revolution.
Meanwhile, Saied has failed to attract bilateral help from
foreign states, with donors demanding a more inclusive approach
to both political change and economic reforms needed to win aid.
Saied has said there is no going back to the suspended
parliament and said last month that he expected an election in
December to replace the chamber.
The government he appointed in September has announced a public
finance law that includes some of the reforms sought by donors,
but which has been criticised by opposition parties.
(Reporting by Tarek Amara, Writing by Angus McDowall, Editing by
William Maclean)
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