Blinken calls for the “rapid adoption of an inclusive electoral law” ahead of the December legislative elections
July 29 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, has stressed that Washington “shares the concerns” expressed by the position on the proposed new Constitution, approved in a referendum, and has stressed that “it could weaken democracy” in the African country.
“The United States strongly supports Tunisian democracy and the aspirations of the Tunisian people for a secure and prosperous future,” he said in a statement, before recalling that the May 25 referendum “was marked by low voter turnout.”
“We share the concerns expressed by many Tunisians that the process of drafting the new constitution limited the framework for genuine debate and also that the new constitution could weaken Tunisian democracy and erode respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms” , has held.
Thus, Blinken stressed that “an inclusive and transparent reform process is crucial from now on to begin to restore the confidence of the millions of Tunisians who either did not participate in the referendum or opposed the new Constitution”.
“In particular, we call for the rapid adoption of an inclusive electoral law that facilitates the widest possible participation in the legislative elections planned for December, including those who have opposed or boycotted the constitutional referendum,” he explained.
In this regard, he also highlighted that the United States “applauds the dynamic role played by Tunisia’s vibrant civil society in building an inclusive political future”, while warning that the country “has experienced an alarming erosion of democratic norms over the past year and has reversed many of the hard-won gains made by the Tunisian people since 2011.
Blinken has thus made reference to the decision adopted on July 25, 2021 by the president of Tunisia, Kais Saied, to dissolve the Government and suspend Parliament –later dissolved– to assume all powers, the date from which he has concentrated power around his figure despite opposition complaints about an “institutional coup d’état”.
“Since July 25, 2021, the suspension of constitutional governance, the consolidation of executive power and the weakening of independent institutions have provoked numerous questions about the democratic path in Tunisia, both in Tunisia and internationally,” he argued. .
For this reason, Blinken stressed that Washington is working “in coordination with allies and partners” to “use all the tools at its disposal to support the Tunisian people in forging a democratic government that is accountable, preserves the space for free debate and dissent, protect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, respect judicial independence and the rule of law, and establish control mechanisms that are key to the health of all democracies.”
During the day this Wednesday, the general secretaries of several opposition parties integrated into the National Campaign against the Referendum rejected the results, which have resulted in 94.6 percent of the votes in favor of ‘yes’.
In contrast, the electoral commission rejected the criticism and defended that the recount process was carried out in line with Tunisian law. In this sense, he said that “the figures announced are fair and that all the details related to the vote have been made public just after the announcement of the preliminary results.”
The draft of the Magna Carta brings together most of the powers around the Presidency and reduces the power of Parliament. The new document will replace the Magna Carta approved in 2014 following the overthrow of Ben Ali in the framework of a massive wave of popular protests in what is known as the ‘Arab Spring’.
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