Tunisian democracy in crisis after President ousts government

Kais Saied froze Parliament in a move which appeared to be backed by the army by was labelled a coup by foes including infleuntial Islamists

Tunisia faced its biggest crisis in a decade of democracy on July 26 after President Kais Saied ousted the government and froze Parliament in a move which appeared to be backed by the army but was labelled a coup by foes including influential Islamists. It follows months of deadlock and disputes between Mr. Saied, a political independent, Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and a fragmented Parliament as Tunisia has descended deeper into an economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, the head of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party which has played a role in successive coalitions, decried it as an assault on democracy and called on Tunisians to take to the streets in opposition.