KEY POINTS
- Tunisians took to the streets to protest against President Kais Saied, just two days before the upcoming presidential election.
- Protesters expressed anger over Saied’s growing authoritarianism, economic mismanagement, and the erosion of democratic freedoms.
- Tensions are rising as Tunisia approaches the vote, with citizens demanding a return to democratic governance and solutions to economic hardship.
Days before the presidential poll on October 6, thousands of Tunisians took to the streets of the capital to oppose President Kais Saied. The protests are being driven by discontent with Saied’s presidency, and are further exacerbated by his authoritarian tendencies, and the declining economy of the country.
The protests take place at a time that is particularly sensitive for Tunisia: the country which was once seen as a success of the Arab Spring is experiencing a profound political and economic crisis.
The citizens are demonstrating against what they believe to be Saied’s engineering of tyranny taking over the country due to his centralization of power, dismantling of democratic frameworks and governance of the country like an autocrat.
Growing concerns on Saied presidency
Some have criticized certain actions of Saied, such as his actions to suspend the parliament in July 2021 and start to rule by decree.
Its critics claimed that he is trying to dismantle the democracy of Tunisia and bring the nation closer to authoritarian rule. A number of protesters had banners saying they wanted back their democracy and no more dictatorship.
Tunisians are also unhappy with Saied’s approach towards the economy. Unemployment, high inflation, and scarcities are equally rife in the country, putting so many people under serious exploitation.
The economy is one of the main issues affecting Tunisia since the removal of President Ben Ali in 2011, and while Saied has been in power for less than a year, his government has been accused of not doing anything to improve the economy and that instead, he is eyeing to be president for the second term.
As report by Reuters, several Tunisians have called for removing Saied from the power and taking the country back on the right democratic track, who they accuse of manipulating the political system to stay in the office.
The economic difficulties only contribute to the fire.
Tunisia’s economic difficulties have contributed to a rise in opposition to President Saied.
This is amidst high inflation rates, record high levels of unemployment especially among the youths. Food and oil are scarce and the general population of Tunisia has been impoverished.
Most demonstrators cited escalating economic woes asking for actions to be taken and change in leadership to favor the people.
“We are suffering every day. “Our country is in ruins,” said one protester, the frustration of many Tunisians who think that the current government does not pay attention to their economic problems.
Election tensions build
With Tunisia already in preparation for the presidential vote, things are heating up. Saied’s opponents could not believe that elections in the country will be credible and fair, following latest moves executed by Saied towards establishing an authoritarian rule.
His supporters, in contrast, believe that Saied is taking appropriate steps to focus on saving the country and purging it of corrupt and non-effective politicians, which many agreed was a huge issue in Tunisia.
The protests mean that there is a split in Tunisia, many citizens are disappointed in the development of the state under the leadership of Saied.
The election scheduled for October 6 will be a critical moment for Tunisia’s democracy and may define the country’s political model.
Hope for democratic revival
However, there are still many Tunisians who believe that the country can go back to the democratic way. The people are demanding political change of power and political and economic changes that will help to solve the problems of the country.
As the vote approaches, people are interested in whether their calls for democracy and economic stability will be answered.
This election remains the decisive one in Tunisia’s future with the possibility of major shifts at stake in this election.
