On Sunday, President Kais Saied dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, who was handpicked by Mr Saied and had served less than a year in office. Removing Mr Mechichi from power was only one of several steps Mr Saied took to consolidate power and address what he saw as an urgent, emergency situation. He also suspended Parliament for 30 days and removed parliamentary immunity for MPs, with the army preventing Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, who is the head of the Islamist Ennahda party, from entering the parliament building. He has pledged to personally preside over the public trials of parliamentarians, whom he has accused of corruption. He also dismissed the defence and acting justice ministers.
Mr Saied justified his actions by stating that the country faced an imminent threat and that he was given the power to undertake these actions under Article 80 of the Tunisian Constitution, which states: “In the event of imminent danger threatening the nation's institutions or the security or independence of the country, and hampering the normal functioning of the state, the President of the Republic may take any measures necessitated by the exceptional circumstances, after consultation with the Head of Government and the Speaker of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People and informing the President of the Constitutional Court.”
On Monday, Mr Saied issued a presidential decree extending a curfew that had already been in place for 30 days. The curfew requires Tunisians to remain at home from 7pm to 6am, with exceptions made for medical needs and essential workers. He also banned travel between cities and gatherings of more than three people on public roads and in public areas.
The political crisis that is unfolding began long before Mr Saied’s actions. The 2019 election ushered in the country’s most fractured parliament to date, with the largest party, Ennahda, winning only 25 per cent of the seats in parliament and 31 parties or lists making up the 217-seat body. Mr Saied himself also represents a political shift. A law professor, he came in as an outsider and a populist, with no political party or political experience. Many of Mr Saied’s supporters see him as the person who can finally address the endemic corruption that metastasised under Ben Ali and Tunisia’s various democratic leaders have been either unable or unwilling to address. His opponents see him as an inexperienced, power-hungry leader willing to sacrifice the democratic progress the country has made since the 2011 uprising.
Many Tunisians have become increasingly angry and frustrated over the government’s inability to adequately deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic not only led to horrific health consequences but also contributed to a severe economic decline with the tourism sector largely decimated in both 2020 and 2021, unemployment on the rise and an economy that shrank by nearly nine per cent in 2020. Mr Saied and Mr Mechichi have been in conflict with each other for several months, contributing to a political paralysis that has prevented the government from addressing the economic challenges facing Tunisia. Tunisia also saw an uptick in police brutality this year, leading to further anger and disillusionment with the government.
When protesters took to the streets on Sunday, expressing their anger at the government’s failure to contain the pandemic, Mr Saied seized on the opportunity to respond to demands for a government reshuffle. Mr Saied had previously threatened to remove Mr Mechichi, but had been unable to secure enough votes in Parliament to remove him through normal parliamentary means.
The political crisis that is unfolding began long before Kais Saied’s actions
The public response to Mr Saied’s moves demonstrates how divided Tunisian society is today. Both supporters of Mr Saied and his opponents poured into the streets on Sunday and Monday, demonstrating both euphoria over what supporters see as the president's decisive action and anger over what opponents see as an unlawful seizure of power. Pro-Saied protesters ransacked Ennahda's offices, who had the largest share of seats in Parliament, as well as the Free Destourian Party led by Abir Moussi, a polarising figure who has called for a return to the Ben Ali era. While Mr Saied’s opponents initially carried out a sit-in in front of Parliament, Ennahda issued a statement on Tuesday, calling on its supporters to stay home to prevent further violent confrontations.
Civil society groups such as the main labour union, the UGTT, have offered to facilitate a national dialogue that could help bring the various factions together and craft a roadmap forward. Tunisia has had success with such efforts, with the national dialogue that took place in 2013, following another period of political upheaval culminating in the assassination of two political figures, eventually putting the democratic transition back on track and netting the four organisations that facilitated the dialogue with the Nobel Peace Prize.
A statement by some of the most influential civil society organisations – the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, the UGTT, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, the Association of Tunisian judges, the Tunisian League of Human Rights and the Tunisian Forum of Economic and Social Rights, largely supports the president’s actions, but emphasises the need for him to ensure the emergency measures remain temporary. The groups have called on him to adhere to the 30-day timeline, after which the emergency measures should expire, according to Article 80, and to develop a roadmap within that timeframe.
There has been a wide variety of responses from the international community, with Arab states divided based on their political loyalties. The strongest condemnation of Mr Saied’s actions has been from Turkey, who is close to the Ennahda leadership and shares its Islamist ideology. On Tuesday, Mr Saied welcomed both the Moroccan and Algerian foreign ministers, with the North African nations watching what unfolds in Tunisia closely.
The West has been engaged, but relatively muted in its response so far, taking a wait-and-see approach. Most statements from Europe and the US have emphasised the need to adhere to human rights and democratic principles. France has called for a “return, as soon as possible, to normal functioning of institutions". And the EU focused its statement on ensuring that Tunisia adheres to the constitution and rule of law.
The events unfolding in Tunisia are far from over. After consolidating executive power into his own hands, President Saied now has 30 days to show Tunisians his plan to address the political, economic and health crises that have paralysed the country.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
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Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
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RESULT
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 Manchester United 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
