More power for Saied – Tunisian constitution as a step back for democracy

Despite the low turnout, the constitution can enter into force. It no longer provides any authority that could control the president or even remove him from office. In the future, Kais will be able to appoint and dismiss the government and judges without the consent of parliament. He must also be able to dissolve parliament. Saied also announced his intention to change voting rights.

Fighting corruption as a pretext
Before the results were announced, Saied said he wanted to use the new constitution to implement “all the demands of the Tunisian people”. He justified the amendment of the constitution with the fight against corruption. He had pushed through many sweeping decrees by decree, bypassing the previous constitution. This was introduced in 2014 and limited the powers of the president in favor of parliament and heads of government.

After the Arab uprisings of 2010, Tunisia was the only country to successfully convert to democracy. Critics accuse Saied of wanting to return the North African country to a dictatorship. Until now, the constitutional referendum has also been seen as a vote on Saied’s leadership. The low turnout could boost Saied’s critics and weaken its legitimacy. Many Tunisians struggle with unemployment and poverty. The new constitution hardly solves these problems.

Prime Minister ousted, judges fired
A year ago, Saied had consolidated his power. He deposed the then head of government and forced parliament to suspend his work. Later he solved it completely. The president also fired dozens of judges for alleged corruption.

Saied had previously been engaged in a month-long power struggle with the conservative Islamist party Ennahda, which he weakened significantly with the move. The Islamists, who are considered relatively moderate, were the strongest force in parliament and condemned Saied’s controversial measures as a “coup d’état”. However, they have clearly lost popularity with the general public. The party is widely regarded as corrupt and the track record of its parliamentary work disappointing.

Protests have been going on for months
Tunisia is divided between supporters and opponents of the president. There have been repeated protests on both sides for months. Many Tunisians are poorer today than in the days of long-term ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was removed from office in 2011 amid mass protests. There is great doubt as to whether democracy as a form of government is suitable for overcoming the economic crisis. With MPs traditionally more engaged in bickering than much-needed reform, many are hoping for a strong president to tackle the issues. However, Saied’s policies have done little to improve the situation.

20,000 people left the country
It is estimated that about 20,000 people have left the country for Europe since Saied’s political transformation began, most of them by boat across the Mediterranean. According to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, Tunisians now make up the largest group of all migrants arriving in Italy.

The new constitution states that Tunisia is part of the “Islamic community” and that the state aims to achieve democratic goals, including the protection of life. Some observers see this as a strategic move by the secular head of state Saied to also appeal to supporters of the Ennahda party. However, it is not clear what the vague paragraph means in practice.

Turning from change to democracy
Turning away from democratic transition in Tunisia would undo the hard-earned progress – especially compared to other countries in the region, where the so-called Arab Spring had little lasting impact. In neighboring Libya, for example, ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi was arrested and killed in a military operation in 2011. The country then plunged into civil war and, after a two-year ceasefire, is now escalating violence.

In Egypt, the democratic upheaval after the fall of long-term President Hosni Mubarak remained merely an experiment. A military coup followed the victory of Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in the summer of 2013. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi brought to the top an army leader whom critics say is oppressing his people with even worse methods than in the time of Mubarak.