Older and youthful generations march in Tunis to reject President Kais Saied’s draft structure, days forward of a referendum.
Tunis, Tunisia – A whole lot of individuals have rallied in Tunis to protest towards a draft structure proposed by President Kais Saied, two days earlier than a deliberate referendum on the constitution.
The Nationwide Salvation Entrance alliance of opposition teams led a march via the Tunisian capital on Saturday to reject the president’s structure change programme and decried what they name an undemocratic and unlawful course of.
Most of the protesters have been from the older era, who had lived below former President Zine Abbedine Ben Ali and took half within the 2011 revolution which compelled him from workplace.
Amongst them was Amna Fehty, an Ennadha supporter who stated she was there to “combat for freedom and democracy”.
“We can not progress or have any energy on this world below a dictatorship,” she informed Al Jazeera.
“I don’t wish to see our youngsters dwell as slaves below a dictator.”
Rigidity has been rising within the nation upfront of the vote amid fears that the draft structure would function the premise of a brand new hyper-presidential authorities system.
The referendum is being held one yr after Saied suspended the parliament and sacked the federal government in what his opponents name an influence seize. The president stated he was responding to the favored will and saving the nation from imminent hazard.
He quickly started ruling by decree and has dismantled a few of the nation’s democratic state establishments together with the Supreme Judicial Council, whereas pushing for a brand new structure, a draft of which was printed final month.
The constitution would restrict the powers of the parliament and judiciary and enshrine the powers he has collected over the previous yr.
A member of the chief committee of the Nationwide Salvation Entrance known as Monday’s referendum “one other hyperlink in a collection of unlawful occasions.”
“We’re right here to state for historical past that we consider this new structure is totally illegitimate and can proceed to respect the 2014 structure,” Jaohar ben Mbarek informed Al Jazeera.
There have been additionally some youthful folks among the many crowds at Saturday’s rally. They stated that Kais Saied is stealing their probability to develop their democracy.
Alabbas Ben Abdennabi, a 22-year-old enterprise research scholar, informed Al Jazeera “Kais Saied did a coup d’etat, he betrayed the Tunisian individuals who voted for him … [Saied] desires to be like a sultan.”
Ammen Ekalini, a 20-year-old activist, got here to the demonstration with fellow college students and stated they’re undeterred by the referendum and able to combat for democracy.
“We would like the world to know that we’re the era of democracy,” he informed Al Jazeera.
“We all know how a lot our mother and father suffered below dictatorship, they have been right here [on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Tunis] in 2011 in the course of the revolution. We all know this structure will undergo. It says in Article 139 that whether or not sure or no wins, will probably be activated.”
Duaa Naceur, an 18-year-old highschool scholar, informed Al Jazeera, “Saied desires to steal all our rights, however we gained’t let him.”
“Our message to the world is: assist us rebuild our democracy. We’re succesful, we are able to do it.”
Saturday’s peaceable rally adopted a protest the earlier night the place police arrested a number of protesters and violently beat activists.
Al Jazeera witnessed violent beatings and use of pepper spray at Friday’s protest.
The Ministry of the Inside stated protesters initiated the violence towards police.
The Tunisian labour union UGTT condemned the police violence and demanded the discharge of detainees and a full investigation saying, “We maintain the president accountable for this authoritarian deviation.”
