Sharjah24 – AFP: Tunisian President Kais Saied announced Sunday the suspension of parliament and dismissal of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi following a day of protests against the ruling party, which condemned the move as a "coup d'etat".
Earlier Sunday, thousands of Tunisians had marched in several cities protesting against the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, criticising what they said were government failures in the North African nation and a crippling coronavirus surge.
After Saied announced parliament's suspension following an emergency meeting at his palace, the sounds of car horns and fireworks filled the streets.
In Tunis, hundreds defied a coronavirus curfew to congregate on the capital's roads.
"Finally some good decisions!" Maher, celebrating in the city's northwest, said.
Thirty-something Nahla, brandishing a Tunisian flag, was jubilant.
Since Saied was elected president in 2019, he has been locked in a showdown with Mechichi and parliament speaker Rached Ghannouchi, a rivalry that has blocked ministerial appointments and diverted resources from tackling Tunisia's many economic and social problems.
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