The new constitution proposed by President Kais Saied was adopted by referendum

The new constitution proposed by Tunisian President Kais Saied, which significantly enhances the powers of the head of state, was adopted by 94.6% of the vote, according to the final results revealed by the electoral college on Tuesday, August 16th. The text shall enter into force after its issuance by the President of the Republic and its publication in the Official Gazette.

The new constitution provides for a hyper-presidential system, breaking the restrictions on the authority of the head of state since 2014 to avoid the return of a dictatorship similar to that of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was overthrown in 2011 during the Jasmine Revolution. With this provision, the president can appoint and dismiss the prime minister and ministers as he likes, and he cannot be removed. A second chamber will also be established in Parliament to represent the Tunisian authorities.

However, the participation rate was only 30.5%. Opposition parties, which called for a boycott of the 25 July elections, denounced the increasingly authoritarian exercise of power by Kais Saied. President [élu en] It suspended Parliament in particular since July 2021, and replaced the Supreme Council of the Judiciary with a body “temporary” while giving itself the power to dismiss judges. Human rights defenders have warned of the danger of a return to dictatorship.