Tunisia's president dissolves suspended parliament

TUNIS, Tunisia

Tunisian President Kais Saied on Wednesday dissolved the country’s suspended parliament, hours after lawmakers held a plenary session to revoke his measures.

Earlier Wednesday, 124 lawmakers met online and voted to revoke “exceptional measures” taken by Saied on July 25, 2021.

“Today, we announce the dissolution of parliament, to preserve the state and its institutions,” Saied said at a meeting of the National Security Council.

The Tunisian president termed Wednesday’s parliamentary session as a “failed coup attempt”.

Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis since July 25 when Saied dismissed the government, suspended parliament, and assumed executive authority, in a move decried by opponents as a “coup.”

Tunisia has been seen as the only country that succeeded in carrying out a democratic transition among Arab countries which witnessed popular revolutions toppling ruling regimes, including Egypt, Libya, and Yemen.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar