Tunisian president Saied extends state of emergency

Tunis, Tunisia (PANA)  - Tunisian President Kaïs Saied has decided to extend the state of emergency by one month, from 1 January to 30 January, a communiqué issued by the Tunisian presidency said here Monday.

The communiqué did not say if the decision was made after consultation with the head of the government and the speaker of parliament as stipulated by the Tunisian constitution.

Observers attributed the decision to extend the state of emergency to the mobilisation of the armed and security forces on the occasion of the New Year, particularly the tense situation prevailing in neighbouring Libya where fighting is intensifying between troops loyal to the government of national accord chaired by Fayez Sarraj and the forces of self-proclaimed chief of the Libyan national army, Marshall Khalifa Haftar.

The state of emergency in Tunisia has continually been extended since 24 November 2015 following the terrorist attack that targeted a bus of the presidential guard in the capital, in which 13 people were killed and 16 others wounded.

-0-     PANA     BB/BEH/MSA/RA    30Dec2019