Tunisia: Police block streets to prevent opposition sit-in
Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) – All roads leading to Bardo city which accommodates the seat of the Tunisian Parliament are locked by security forces who have isolated the zone, PANA reported on Sunday.
Strengthened security measures follow the announcement made by the "Coalition troisième République" (Coalition Third Republic) to hold from Sunday an undetermined sit-in to demand the dissolution of Parliament and formation of a limited government of non-partisan competences to run the country’s affairs, reliable sources said.
Revision of the electoral law and amendment of the Constitution to get it adopted through popular referendum are also part of the grievances expressed by the Coalition.
The political crisis deteriorated over the past few weeks in Tunisia, marked by clashes with insults and death threats shared openly between MPs and parliamentary blocks.
Reacting to the strengthened security measures on the roads leading to Bardo city, the spokesperson for the Front for national Salvation, Fathi El Wargali, said that they ‘’received pressure from the security forces", insisting on ‘’the will of the Coalition to strengthen the popular movement in fighting the political violation perpetrated by the Ministry of Interior".
Former Member of Parliament and political activist, Fatima el Massidi, denounced the closure on Sunday of ways and streets to protesters, describing those measures as "violation of the freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate as guaranteed by the Constitution".
In a declaration on a local radio, she described those security measures "as first step to dictatorship".
This new protest movement is backed by the political and union forces, as well as civil society organisations. The Secretary-General of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), Noureddine Tabboubi, recently said that "the country is going through political crisis", calling for the holding of a popular referendum "to evaluate the political regime".
-0- PANA YY/IN/TBM/MSA/AR 14June2020
