Often celebrated as the Arab Spring’s so-called success model, Tunisia is facing its biggest political crisis since the 2011 revolution that introduced democracy.
On Sunday, Demonstrations were held in several Tunisian cities, Street protesters raised slogans calling for the overthrow of the government headed by Hisham al-Mashishi and against the "Renaissance" movement and its president, Rashed Ghannouchi.
Protesters demanded the government’s removal after a spike in COVID-19 cases that aggravated economic troubles. Offices of the Ennahdha party were also attacked.
Throwing stones and shouting slogans, the protesters demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and the dissolution of Parliament.
Tunisian president sacks prime minister following protests
Which prompted President Kais Saied to removed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, who was also in charge of the interior ministry, and suspended Parliament.
He also suspended the immunity of members of parliament, insisting his actions were in line with the constitution.
In his speech, Saied said he would assume executive authority with the assistance of a new prime minister.
The announcement was condemned as an attack on democracy by his rivals but was greeted by others with celebrations on the streets across the country.
The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated Tunisia’s economic woes as unemployment surged and state services declined.
The growing political schisms and Tunisia’s weary economy are in line with an ongoing struggle for dominance in Tunisia’s parliament.
"Saied" said he is trying to avert a looming fiscal crisis amid a weeks-long spike in COVID cases and increased death rates.
Earlier this month, Tunisia’s health ministry said the country’s healthcare system had “collapsed” under the weight of the pandemic, which has caused more than 17,000 deaths in a population of about 12 million.
Tunisia's Decade of Challenges
"Saied" and the parliament were elected in separate popular votes in 2019, while Mechichi took office last year, replacing another short-lived government.
But it is not the first time a government has been short-lived in Tunisia since the 2011 revolution that led to the overthrow of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
After months of failed attempts to form a government, Elyes Fakhfakh became PM in January 2020 but was forced out within months over a corruption scandal.
Months later, Mechichi was named prime minister but has been enmeshed in political disputes with Saied for more than a year. His fragile government lurched from crisis to crisis as it struggled to deal with the pandemic and the need for urgent reforms.
Over the past decade, the country has faced a series of challenges, including recurring attacks by ISIL (ISIS) that devastated the country’s vital tourism sector and were a major contributor to the economic decline, which approached a crisis point in 2017.