CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th July, 2021) Tunisian President Kais Saied has dismissed Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi and said he was freezing parliament after the recent anti-government protests.
Speaking at a Sunday meeting with the leadership of the army and security forces, Saied said that the decision should have been made "several months ago," and that he would now assume executive authority with the assistance of a new prime minister, to be appointed later.
The Tunisian president also decided to suspend immunity for all members of parliament. He emphasized that all of his actions were in line with the law and reflected people's demands.
Earlier on Sunday, protests were held in a number of Tunisian cities with demonstrators demanding that the government step down. Some offices of the Ennahda party, headed by Tunisian Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi were attacked.
Ghannouchi reportedly accused the president of committing a constitutional coup and a coup against the revolution on Sunday, after Saied made the announcement on dismissing the prime minister and freezing parliament.
