A decision by Tunisian President Kais Saied to impose a night curfew has sparked criticism on the success of the measures in limiting the spread of COVID-19.
His move on Wednesday also disclosed a “constitutional power struggle” among the country’s three top leaders.
There have been questions on the best measures to fight the coronavirus outbreak, on whether there should be a curfew, a declaration of a state of emergency or abide by the Tunisian constitution.
Tarek Ftiti, Second Deputy Speaker, revealed the nature of disputes among the three top constitutional bodies, saying each authority is attempting to take the optimal advantage over concerns from the virus to expand its powers.
Ftiti added that Tunisian Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh rejected to attend a meeting on Tuesday to be questioned on measures to protect Tunisia from the outbreak.
Some politicians said Tunisia has been in a state of emergency for years. This situation allows the Ministry of Interior to take exceptional measures in case of an “imminent danger” without the need to impose a curfew.
The president’s announcement of a curfew was severely criticized by opposition leader Ahmad Najib al-Shabi, head of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), who saw a certain struggle over power between the president and the speaker.
Shabi noted that the speaker summoned the prime minister and cabinet members for consultations. However, the constitution doesn’t give him the authority to get involved in the work of an independent authority.
