Tunisia was one of the first countries to uprise against corruption and authoritarianism. In hope for a fairer and more democratic government where they as people are able to determine their own futures. Yet it has been experiencing a decade filled with challenges and setbacks, as we see today with President Kais Saied.
President Kais Saied is a university professor of constitutional law who is loved by his students for what he symbolizes: intelligence and honesty. These are two things lacking in the previous parliament and what got him elected. On 25 July 2021, President Kais Saied announced a state of emergency, suspended parliament, assumed executive authority, and plans to create a new constitution with a vote on that new constitution in July this year. The Tunisian public reacted positively at first as he sacked Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi. They saw President Saied assuming executive power as an opportunity to put Tunisia back on track both politically and economically. When democracy for years hasn’t achieved any economic progress in an ever-deteriorating economy, people saw president Kais Saied as the one who was going to fix it.
Yet the tide is turning against president Kais Saied. Tunisian parties announced a coalition to counter president Kais Saied, and there has been an increase of protest in defiance to covid-19 restriction. Perception is changing as the suspension of parliament is now seen as a power grab, especially since re-writing the constitution should be a parliamentary process where all parties discuss and are involved. A coup, they called it. Historically, we’ve always seen that one-person rule never brings about true democracy or sustainable improvement; Tunisia also experienced this with Ben Ali, who was more convincing than President Kais Saied ever was.
What brought President Kais Saied to power was people’s discontent with previous elects; this is because they haven’t brought about any economic progress, unemployment was soaring. However, President Kais Saied is just re-stating the same discussion of the constitution and system of governance not bringing about any real economic change. The only major economic reforms predicted are austerities like measures aiming to secure IMF loans and foreign direct investment, which will surely worsen the Tunisian living conditions and not bring about long-term economic growth.
Another reason he got elected is because of the soaring corruption. Yet the policies adopted by President Kais Saied, who presents himself as fighting corruption, is bound to breed more significant corruption:
1. He has established no dialogue with other parties representing other voters regarding policies, and in contrast, he slanders and demonizes them.
2. Corrupt individuals are being trialed in untransparent military courts that delegitimize such courts' ruling.
3. The suspension of parliament and constitutional courts produces an environment with no accountability for neither the president nor the people surrounding him.
4. Fourthly President Kais Saied is constantly attacking the judicial system, questioning the validity of laws and reducing stability.
All in combination are bound to weaken the legitimacy of the law and increase corruption.
Furthermore, even when the new constitution is established by the end of the year, I doubt Tunisia's economic and political system will be any better. Firstly, such a de-legitimization and weakening of the rule of law and constitution established in 2014 is bound to have negative political implications. Secondly, due to president Kais Saied law background, he seems not to have presented any viable solution to solving the economic condition, which gained him support in the first place.
