Tunisia – What prompted Saïed to change his rhetoric 180 degrees?

Many observers were staggered by the sudden shift in Kaïs Saïed’s discourse on Thursday, between two meetings, barely one to two hours apart. By meeting constitutional law specialists, at the end of the afternoon, Kaïs Saïed appeared more committed than ever, to continue his momentum, by attacking all his adversaries, accusing them of all wrongs and having exploited the last elections, and their results.

He threatened them, as always, to bring them to justice, and everything else. Nevertheless, two hours later, while meeting with members of the High-Security Council, the President of the Republic was fully transformed. He wasn’t so hot-headed and impulsive anymore. He had unexpectedly become calmer, and even fearful. The intonation of his voice altered, he was reconciling. And while a few minutes earlier, he menaced to crack down on everyone, there he spoke of national unity, peaceful cohabitation, the union of forces, acceptance of the right to be different and development projects …

He even permitted himself a thought of solidarity with his “enemies” against whom he had persisted, a few minutes earlier, wishing them a speedy recovery, following their wounds during the fire at the headquarters of Ennahdha. At first, nobody got it. Though, after some thought, they could justify this spectacular turnaround by a very likely warning received from the international community. And this was after his last speech, in which he openly declared his intention to suspend the constitution of 2014.

These observers believed that it was too much to be said or thought. Because, by breaking the constitution, he is indeed putting on the habit of a perfect putschist. Moreover, the press release published the next day by the ambassadors of the G7 countries, in a way, proved this hypothesis. Except that the media release of his friend and colleague in constitutional law, Amine Mahfoudh, has completed muddying the waters.

Indeed, the day after these two meetings, Amine Mahfoudh talked to several local media and did everything to clarify and confirm Saïed’s intentions to suspend the constitution and present a new version, by way of ” electronic referendum ”. Has Mahfoudh not been made aware of Kaïs Saïed’s last-minute change of program, or the reverse of the speech has not changed the intentions of the president who will continue on the path to the execution of his project? Kaïs Saïed’s following probable media releases will dispel the vagueness surrounding this question!