Tunisia: The chief jurist distances himself from the published draft constitution

Zadok Belaid, President “National Consultative Committee for a New Republic» President Kais Saied, who had tasked him with drafting a new constitution, submitted his draft to him on June 22.

But in a message published by Al-Sabah newspaper on Sunday, Belaid confirmed to AFP that he was its writer, distancing himself from the text that Said published on Thursday.

This draft constitution grants broad powers to the head of state, marking a radical break with the parliamentary system in place since 2014.

Belaid, one of Tunisia’s most famous jurists, confirmed in his letter that the draft constitution was published Thursday in the Official Gazette. “It does not belong in any way to the ones that we have drawn up and shown to the boss».

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“For this reason, as Chairman of the National Consultative Body (..), I declare with regret, and in full awareness of the responsibility towards the Tunisian people, to whom the final decision belongs, that the Commission is completely innocent of the text submitted by the President for the referendum»he added.

According to him, the project was published by Saeed “It involves significant risks and failures». He cites in particular an article on “imminent danger» Who guarantees the head of state “Too wide powers, under conditions that no one else can judge, which can open the way for a dictatorial regime».

Namely by citing a similar article that appeared in the 2014 constitution, Saied assumed full power on 25 July 2021 by suspending parliament and dismissing the government, which is dominated by the conservative Islamist Ennahda party, his black beast.