Tunisia's president prevents 11 new ministers from taking office 

"Enough, enough... I have worked enough in the shadows. Today I will act to protect the state and the interests of Tunisians. I have the legal means that allow me to do so. To those who want to ignore it, I say that there is justice, God and History". With these words, Tunisian President Kaïs Saied expressed his opposition to the government reshuffle imposed by Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.  

Saied has even refused to organize the ceremony for the swearing-in of the new officials. "This is not a simple reorganization, but a structural change. I was not notified and only received a simple correspondence from the head of government. However, such a move requires prior consultation, something that has not taken place," the president indicated.  

Saied also criticized the absence of women at the head of ministerial portfolios, as well as the possible conflict of interest that may exist among the newly elected officials. The president pointed to the political parties as the main culprits of the government crisis: "They only seek their own interests and do not focus on the demands of the Tunisian people".  

However, alternatives have already emerged within the Parliament in case Saied maintains his position. Some deputies have launched the formula of a motion of censure against the president, as provided for in Article 88 of the Constitution.  

This point indicates that "the members of the Assembly of People's Representatives may, by majority vote, submit a reasoned motion to terminate the mandate of the President of the Republic for a serious violation of the Constitution."  

The motion must be approved by two thirds of the Assembly. In case of receiving the parliamentary rubric, the process would pass into the hands of the Constitutional Court, a body that also decides by a two-thirds majority. However, in case of approval, the Constitutional Court itself can only pronounce the dismissal of the criminal proceedings without prejudice to Saied.  

This hypothetical decision "deprives the President of the Republic of the right to stand as a candidate in any other election". However, constitutional experts maintain a unanimous position on the matter: the president has the constitutional power to veto new ministers, therefore, he is not violating the precepts of the Constitution.  

The refusal comes three weeks after Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi's announcement of the reshuffle within the Executive. Mechichi promised Tunisians that the new cabinet would tackle the necessary reforms to promote job creation and improve the country's conditions in order to appease the protests.  

The Executive announced a change in the leadership of 11 ministries, including Justice and Health. However, the most relevant replacement is the one at the Ministry of the Interior. The Prime Minister himself, Mechichi, intends to take over this portfolio as well.  

"It is the first time in Tunisia that the head of government assumes the interim position of the Minister of the Interior, whom he himself has dismissed. The Presidency of the Republic is neither a post office receiving mail nor an organizer of oaths to move on," criticized President Saied.

The Tunisian government was forced to deploy the army in several provinces of the country following incidents in several cities, including the capital. Security forces have already arrested hundreds of protesters. 

Protests erupted on January 15 in response to the imposition of a new four-day lockdown to alleviate the spike in cases. The authorities have also imposed another curfew. However, what has finally incited the demonstrations has been the publication on the Internet of a video in which a police officer can be seen assaulting a civilian. 

The protests have been going on for several weeks, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the Arab Spring in Tunisia. Although Tunisia has made the most progress, successive governments have been unable to improve the economic situation. The pandemic has further worsened this set of conditions, and the population remains disenchanted with the lack of progress and high unemployment.