“We are navigating the most delicate moments in the history of Tunisia,” Mr Saied said Sunday, adding that he would shortly appoint an interim prime minister.
He said the constitution did not allow for the dissolution of parliament, but did allow him to suspend it, citing Article 80 which permits it in case of “imminent danger”.
In a later Facebook post, he clarified that the suspension would be for 30 days. “I have taken the necessary decisions to save Tunisia, the state and the Tunisian people,” he said.
Turkey, a close ally of Tunisia, said it was “deeply concerned” by the suspension of the Tunisian parliament and said it hoped that “democratic legitimacy” is soon restored.
The 30-day suspension of parliament will be decisive for Tunisia’s future
By Campbell MacDiarmid
In the decade since a Tunisian vegetable vendor’s self-immolation sparked the Arab Spring, Tunisia has at times been hailed as one of the few success stories from the movement that ousted ageing dictators across the region in the name of democracy.
But the country has also struggled to live up to the aspirations of a young population demanding dignity and a decent standard of living.
Monday’s events bring Tunisia to a precipice – will this be another bump on Tunisia’s road to democracy or a coup that leads to Egyptian-style authoritarianism, or worse, perhaps the violence of neighbouring Libya?
Compared to the chaos that engulfed Libya following the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Tunisia emerged intact from the initial upheaval to oust longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.