In Tunis Cafes, Cynicism Saps Opposition To President's Power Grab

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In Tunis cafes, cynicism saps opposition to president's power grab

Tunis, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Jul, 2021 ) :Under a blazing Tunis sun, cafe owner Radhi al-Chawich is chatting amicably with customers when he lets slip he supports the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, the main opponent of a power grab by President Kais Saied.

All five turn on him immediately, telling him that he doesn't know what he's talking about and that Ennahdha are all "hypocrites" and "liars".

It is a widespread sentiment in the alleyways of Tunis's Old City after 10 years in which Ennahdha has maintained its position as Tunisia's largest party but has failed to win a parliamentary majority, forcing it to make sometimes unpalatable compromises.

Most people interviewed by AFP blame the party for Tunisia's multiple crises, not the president it accuses of mounting a "coup".

Last Sunday, Saied sacked prime minister Hichem Mechichi and suspended parliament for 30 days. On Wednesday, he ordered a graft crackdown targeting 460 businessmen for alleged embezzlement alongside an investigation into alleged illegal funding of political parties, including Ennahdha.

For supporters like Chawich, the cynicism about the party's motives is a throwback to the dictatorship of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, ousted 10 years ago in the Arab Spring uprisings.

The 61-year-old said the party deserved more respect for its share of the vote in successive elections since his ouster.

"We are back to the time of the dictatorship. It is a recognised party which ran for election... Let its mandate end and then we'll see in the elections. It is the ballot box that must decide."Chawich said he would continue to support Ennahdha until investigators proves the party had done something wrong.

"If it turns out that they stole, and they are convicted, then I will not vote for them anymore."