Ghannouchi: The people of Tunisia will not back down from its democratic gains

Tunisia's Speaker of Parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, confirmed his readiness to tender his resignation from his speakership if the resolution of the political crisis was linked to his resignation, calling on President Kais Saied to return to the constitution and postpone his plans.

Ghannouchi, in an interview with Assabah Daily, said that if the solution lay with his resignation then he would not think twice about doing so, and would resign from his speakership.

He considered that Tunisia lies before a fork in the road, the president must either back down from his measures, or the crisis will continue, to be resolved by early elections. He also stressed that he believes the people of Tunisia will not back down from its democratic gains, and that this is something everyone must realize.

The Speaker added that he has spoken with President Saied on more than one occasion so that he would sign off on the electoral law which had before been agreed upon with the late President Beji Caid Essebsi, but Saied did not do so, as he, according to Ghannouchi, wishes to implement his political project which has shown to be out of line with the constitution and the current electoral law.

Talk with Mechichi on July 25

Ghannouchi also discussed what went on between him and former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi on July 25, saying he called him an hour or two after the "coup" and had very little communication with him since then and that he never met him after that day.

He also said that in one of the calls, Mechichi told him that he was insulted. In another call, he asked Mechichi what he considers himself to be now, to which the latter said that he still considers himself to be prime minister. A day after, Mechichi announced his resignation, and that he was ready to hand the reins over to whoever is chosen by the President.

The crisis

On September 22, President Kais Saied took exceptional measures to enhance his presidential powers to include executive and legislative measures. The provisions, which were published in the official gazette in the form of articles, come around two months after he initially assumed power by suspending Parliament and dismissing the Prime Minister.

On July 25, Saied suspended parliament and the immunity of all MPs, ousting PM Hichem Mechichi, according to article 80 of the Tunisian constitution, amid popular dismay vis-a-vis worsening economic, social, and health conditions in Tunisia.