Sharjah 24 – AFP: Tunisian President Kais Saied has announced the launch of "national dialogue" to help resolve a political crisis following his controversial power grab, but excluding critical opposition groups.
In a speech late Sunday, Saied said a commission would manage "the national dialogue", a measure demanded repeatedly by the G7 nations and European Union.
Saied's proposed talks will include four groups which, together as the "National Dialogue Quartet", jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for its work in building what was, at the time, the only democracy that emerged from the 2011 Arab Spring.
The four groups are the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), the Tunisian Human Rights League and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers.
On Sunday, UGTT leader Noureddine Taboubi appealed to Saied to launch the national dialogue, saying it was "probably the last chance" to bring the country together and avoid "a dismantling of the state and a financial and economic collapse".
Saied also said that a committee preparing constitutional reforms for "a New Republic" will be completed soon, with a referendum on the proposals slated for July 25, followed by legislative elections on December 17.
Tunisia is also gripped by a dire social and economic crisis, and has been seeking a loan package from the International Monetary Fund.
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