Washington on Tuesday (April 26th) criticized Tunisian President Kais Saied for having assumed the right to appoint the head of the electoral authority, calling for respect for democratic rules.
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“The United States is deeply concerned by the Tunisian President’s decision to unilaterally restructure the Independent High Authority for the Elections in Tunisia”, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. Washington “has consistently communicated to Tunisian leaders the importance of maintaining the independence of key democratic institutions and ensuring Tunisia’s return to democratic governance”he added.
Last week, Kais Saied, who has been in power since July, decided to assume the right to appoint three of the seven members of the Independent High Authority for Elections (Isie), including its president. An announcement made a few months before a referendum and a legislative election that this body must supervise.
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The administration of President Joe Biden was initially cautious at the time of the Tunisian head of state’s coup last summer, when he suspended parliament and sacked the prime minister. But Kais Saied dissolved parliament last month, and his critics accuse him of establishing a new autocracy in the country that was the birthplace of the “Arab Spring”.
Washington said in late March be “deeply concerned” by Kais Saied’s decision to dissolve parliament, calling for a swift return to a “constitutional government”.