Dissolved in March 2022 by President Kaïs Saïed, the Tunisian parliament reopened on March 13, 2023, two years later. The first act of this strong institution of 161 deputies including 7 from abroad to be elected, was the election of its president and the adoption of its rules of procedure. If we can welcome this reopening of parliament because it puts an end to governance by ordinance, we cannot help but wonder what this “thing” will be used for. It is no secret that the Tunisian parliament no longer represents much since its powers have been restricted in favor of the contentious reforms carried out by forceps by President Kaïs Saïed. Suffice to say that it is an empty shell that will have very little impact on the Tunisian democratic process, which has stalled since the advent of Kaïd Saïed to power. In truth, this parliament, which was supposed to strengthen the Tunisian democratic process, is neither more nor less than a recording chamber for President Kaïd Saïd. But could it be otherwise when we know that the latter will have done everything possible to establish a National Assembly in his pay? What will be the use of such a chamber which, moreover, is a budget eater for the Tunisian people taken by the throat by an unprecedented economic crisis? Everything suggests that the establishment of this parliament responds more to a desire to satisfy the development partners than to provide Tunisia with strong institutions capable of pulling Tunisian democracy upwards.
It would be wiser for this parliament to listen more to the people than to the reigning prince who has assumed full powers.
Kaïs Saïed should be embarrassed. How could the parliamentary institution, under these conditions, fully play its role of controlling the Executive? Everything suggests that this parliament will not be in tune with the deep aspirations of the Tunisian people who, we remember, had boycotted the legislative election by almost 90%. This is to say that the greatest challenge of the new National Assembly is to succeed in having its decisions accepted by the Tunisian people. This is why it would be wiser for this parliament, in any case, if it wishes to inscribe its name in stone, to listen more to the people than to the reigning prince who has assumed full powers. That said, the Tunisian parliament is rising from its ashes in a context where sub-Saharan migrants, including black-skinned Tunisians, are hunted down like game in Tunisia. What will be the first strong measure of this institution to help curb this crisis with racist overtones? If Kaïs Saïed seems to have gone very far in his drift, the new parliament must rectify the situation. This is all the more necessary since the consequences of this drift could further distance the horizon of the happiness of the Tunisian people, especially in view of the sanctions that are raining down on the economy.
Dabadi ZOMBARA