Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, has sacked the country’s Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspended the parliament, after yesterday’s violent mass protests nationwide.
Anger over the government’s handling of a massive recent spike in Covid-19 cases has added to general unrest over the nation’s economic and social turmoil.
President Saied, who was elected in 2019, announced he was taking over.
His supporters erupted in celebration, but opponents in parliament immediately accused him of staging a coup. Clashes among rival groups continued today.
They threw stones at each other outside the legislature, which has been barricaded by troops, who have also prevented workers from entering some government buildings.
Kais Saied, an independent, has had a long-standing feud with the man he has removed, Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.
