President of Tunisia unwilling to make concessions as democratic anxieties mount

As the political crisis in Tunisia rages on, President Kais Saied has made various actions that critics claim are aimed to cement his hold on power, and he appears increasingly unwilling to compromise.

On Thursday, Saied opposed the formation of an opposition “National Salvation Front” that has called for a national discussion conference and the formation of a transitional government.

The opposition’s effort appeared to be an attempt to approach Saied, but he told a rally in Tunis that there would be “no conversation with those who wish to target the Tunisian state.”

This comes just a week after Saied removed the majority of the members of the election commission (ISIE) on April 22, removing yet another democratic check on the president and raising concerns about the credibility of future elections.

Tunisia’s political crisis began nine months ago, when Saied dismissed the cabinet, suspended parliament, and declared a state of emergency, measures that his opponents labelled as a “coup.”

Saied described his measures as a struggle against the corruption of the political elites of Tunisia, as well as a shift from a parliamentary system to a presidential system, which he blames for the government’s poor performance in recent years.

While Saied had widespread popular support at the time, that support has dwindled in the aftermath of moves that appear to reverse Tunisia’s progress towards democracy following the country’s 2011 revolution.

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