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Tunisians protest amid political standoff

February 28, 2021 / 9:23 AM
Sharjah24 – AFP: Tunisia's main parliamentary bloc Ennahdha rallied thousands of people Saturday in a demonstration of support for the government amid a tug-of-war with President Kais Saied.
Saied has strongly criticised the reshuffle -- which was confirmed by parliament -- saying he had not been consulted and charged that some ministers were suspected of corruption and conflicts of interest.

He also refused to confirm the new ministers, including interior, justice and health, leaving the government paralysed, in a country already reeling from economic hardship and the coronavirus pandemic.

Saturday's protest in the capital Tunis was called for by Ennahdha, and several protesters said they rallied in support unity and democracy.

Around him protesters, who came to the capital from across the country, chanted "the people want national unity".

The political standoff comes as Tunisia has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and its social and economic repercussions.

This "weakening governance" led international ratings agency Moody's this week to downgrade Tunisia's sovereign debt rating, complicating the country's borrowing power while it has not finalised its 2021 budget.  

The International Monetary Fund too warned in a report published Friday that the "Covid-19 crisis is exacerbating Tunisia's socio-economic fragilities" and "led to an unprecedented economic downturn".

The IMF called for urgent reforms to reduce the fiscal deficit, which it said was estimated to have reached 11.5 percent of GDP in 2020.

It also made a series of recommendations, including for limits on energy subsidies and lowering the wage bill.
February 28, 2021 / 9:23 AM

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