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.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
Elvis
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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All the Money in the World
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer
Four stars
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
