The Government of Tunisia denounces a plot to attack the president, Kais Saied

June 24. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Tunisian Ministry of the Interior revealed this Friday the existence of a conspiracy to attack the country’s president, Kais Saied, a month after a controversial constitutional referendum in which the president hopes to consolidate the almost absolute power he has assumed since last year and which the opposition has denounced as a coup and an example of drift towards autocracy.

The spokesperson for the Ministry, Fadela al-Julaifi, described the conspiracy at a press conference as a plot in which “internal and external elements” have participated in an “attack against State security by targeting the President of the Republic” .

“The seriousness of the situation has made it imperative that we denounce this plan before public opinion,” he added during his appearance, collected by the Babnet portal, without giving more details given that “the investigations are still ongoing and the security work continues “.

The spokeswoman has also confirmed the beginning of a search and capture operation for a young man with a criminal record who this past morning wounded two police officers with a knife in front of an institutional building. The first received a stab wound to the shoulder and the second, a cut on the hand. Both evolve favorably. The spokeswoman has described the attack as a “possible terrorist attack”, the Mosaique FM station has collected for her part.

The draft of the new Constitution will be put to a vote within a month, on July 25, a year after President Saied took over all powers after dissolving the Government and suspending Parliament, which was later dissolved.

Saied is facing growing criticism for the economic crisis and the exceptional measures adopted since May 2021, a measure denounced by many parties, including the Islamist Ennahda, which had the majority of seats in the dissolved Parliament.

The opposition to Saied also denounces that the constitutional reform project has been promoted to the greater glory of the president and without the consultation of civil society and the country’s political parties.