On the morning of the 7th day of the life-saving presidential decrees, Tunisians woke up to the news of an hour-long call between the president of the republic and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and believe me it’s so difficult to swallow that the official page of the presidency preferred not to release anything about it, so we had to go back to the White House for more news. And for good reason.
First, it was not the American president himself who told his Tunisian counterpart directly of what he thinks of this coup and to present him with his recommendations formulated as a superior indicates to a subordinate and it’s not even his secretary of state, but the national security adviser. This is to state how little attention the current US administration has of Tunisia and its head of the state. Gone are the days when President Kennedy and his beautiful wife paused on the airport tarmac for the arrival of Bourguiba, the first president to be greeted with a great ceremony after the inauguration. Other times, other manners.
So let’s come back to the white house’s report After the typical sales pitch, like President Biden’s strong support for the people of Tunisia and for Tunisian democracy based on fundamental rights, strong institutions, and a commitment to the rule of law, “the call is concentrated on the crucial necessity for Tunisian leaders to outline a swift return to the “democratic path. National Security Advisor Sullivan emphasised that this will require rapidly forming a new government, led by a capable prime minister to stabilize Tunisia’s economy and confront the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as ensuring the timely return of the elected parliament.
Let us move on to the incongruous invocation of this “prime minister”, who superbly overlooks the provisions of the Tunisian constitution which stipulates for a head of government. Does the American speaker anticipate the almost hidden intentions of Kaes Saïed who, while speaking of appointing a “prime minister”, evokes a sort of man or woman who will be called upon to run the government? (إدارة الحكــومة), reserving the prerogative to chair the Council of Ministers himself? In any case, he takes in this direction to several French news sites and officials, and even to the very respectable Human Rights Watch which indicates that Saïed declared that he would lead the government “with the help of a new Prime Minister ”, which is obviously wrong.
But the most significant point, also the most serious, of these recommendations-injunctions is this call for the “swift return of the elected parliament”. Mr Biden, his administration and his ambassador in Tunis, before pretending the scared Madona, jealous of Tunisian democracy, its institutions and the rule of law, didn’t they know zaâma that this parliament is rather badly elected, with the suspicious flow of money that has essentially profited the lists of the current majority? And that there are among the elected officials’ many supporters of notorious terrorists, convicts who owe their freedom solely to the immunity that their status gives them, a good number of corrupt who have been implicated in the sale of their voice, and even a long-distance smuggler who tried to decorate customs officers? And that the ISIE, the Court of Auditors, the HAICA and the opposition denounced grave irregularities that marred the elections which led to this parliament (distribution of cash and food aid, poor distribution of airtime, parties with one or more media, some of which are illegal, and campaigning on them all day long …), irregularities which, if confirmed by the competent courts, could lead to the invalidation of several lists and, consequently, lead to an obvious dissolution of this parliament? And above all, have they not seized the momentum of the Tunisian people and their hope for a true democracy, which cuts with corruption, embezzlement, terrorism and the disastrous management of the affairs of the State, its economy and of its debt, and which dedicates true and strong institutions, representative and responsible, rather than this quite unfunny circus that the parliament has become?
By mass protests on July 25, 2021, against the corrupt political system and the biased democracy of Ennahda and others, and by the spontaneous popular joy expressed on the evening of the same day, in response to the saving presidential measures, the Tunisian people, free and sovereign has spoken. its verdict is final. It is accordingly right.