The Tunisian parliament held its first session with the recently elected members, on Monday (March 13), nearly 20 months after it was suspended in July 2021. The members who were chosen in an election which took place in December and January with a voter turnout of 11 per cent, began the session which was closed to all but the state media. Reportedly, independent or foreign journalists were barred from entering the parliament building.&nbsp;

The north African country has recently witnessed widespread protests organised by different groups including the opposition coalition, its powerful labour union UGTT, journalists, and so on. In 2021, incumbent President Kais Saied shut down the previously elected parliament, a move which has been described as a power grab and a coup by many in the country.&nbsp;

What happened during the session?

Being the oldest in the new parliament, MP Saleh Mbarki from the Kabaria constituency chaired the opening session and said, “Our duties as people's representatives are to work in partnership with the executive authority for the unity of the state,” reported Reuters.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tunisian-president-calls-for-expulsion-of-migrants-as-wave-of-crackdowns-on-dissents-continues-565946">Tunisian president calls for expulsion of migrants as crackdown on his critics continues</a>

Meanwhile, the main opposition coalition, The National Salvation Front, in a statement said they will not recognise this parliament and said that it came about via a “putschist constitution and elections shunned by the overwhelming majority of voters.”&nbsp;

The low voter turnout has been attributed to most parties boycotting the election which left candidates without party affiliation contesting in the elections. Therefore, most of the new parliament members are political independents who will not be an effective check on executive power, Tunisian activists have warned, reported the Guardian.&nbsp;

Out of the 161 seats of the Tunisian parliament, only 154 are occupied due to the lack of candidates for representatives of Tunisians living abroad. During the first session of the new parliament, on Monday, lawmakers elected their speaker, Ibrahim Bouderbala, the former president of the Bar Association and supposedly a staunch supporter of Saied, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

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Notably, the new parliament will not have the same power that the previous one did as Saied sacked the government, froze parliament, and seized almost total power of the country in 2021 after which he also wrote a new constitution last year.&nbsp;

According to this new constitution, the parliament cannot impeach the president or even hold the government accountable for their actions, as per media reports. Additionally, bills proposed by the president, in this Saied, will be prioritised as opposed to those put forward by other lawmakers.&nbsp;

Journalists barred from attending the first session

For the first time since the 2011 revolution when ousted late dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was in power Tunisia witnessed a ban on journalists. As only journalists from state-controlled media like the state TV, radio, and news agency were allowed to cover the proceedings of the first session of the new parliament on Monday. Meanwhile, journalists from foreign and private outlets were barred from the parliament building.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tunisia-thousands-protests-against-pres-policies-govt-expels-european-trade-union-chief-for-participating-563644">Tunisia: Govt expels ETUC chief for participating in protests against president’s policies</a> 
 
“Lawmakers it is a shame. The press is under siege”, journalists outside the building chanted as per Reuters. The move was also defended by Fatma Mseddi, a newly elected MP who said that the decision was taken to avoid “disorder” and convey an “inappropriate image”. The national union of journalists in Tunisia also issued a statement which draws parallels between the current situation and the pre-revolution time.&nbsp;

Amira Mohamed, vice president of the SNJT, told Reuters how the move is a “scandal and a serious violation of press freedom”. She added, “It harms the image of Tunisia and attacks the citizen's right to a free and pluralistic media.” Previously, speaking to the independent radio station Mosaique FM in Tunisia she had also said that media was being censored and that the union would “opt for escalation” if this ban continues.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

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The Tunisian parliament held its first session with the recently elected members, on Monday (March 13), nearly 20 months after it was suspended in July 2021. The members who were chosen in an election which took place in December and January with a voter turnout of 11 per cent, began the session which was closed to all but the state media.

The Tunisian parliament held its first session with the recently elected members, on Monday (March 13), nearly 20 months after it was suspended in July 2021. The members who were chosen in an election which took place in December and January with a voter turnout of 11 per cent, began the session which was closed to all but the state media. Reportedly, independent or foreign journalists were barred from entering the parliament building. The north African country has recently witnessed widespread protests organised by different groups including the opposition coalition, its powerful labour union UGTT, journalists, and so on. In 2021, incumbent President Kais Saied shut down the previously elected parliament, a move which has been described as a power grab and a coup by many in the country. What happened during the session? Being the oldest in the new parliament, MP Saleh Mbarki from the Kabaria constituency chaired the opening session and said, “Our duties as people's representatives are to work in partnership with the executive authority for the unity of the state,” reported Reuters. ALSO READ | Tunisian president calls for expulsion of migrants as crackdown on his critics continues Meanwhile, the main opposition coalition, The National Salvation Front, in a statement said they will not recognise this parliament and said that it came about via a “putschist constitution and elections shunned by the overwhelming majority of voters.” The low voter turnout has been attributed to most parties boycotting the election which left candidates without party affiliation contesting in the elections. Therefore, most of the new parliament members are political independents who will not be an effective check on executive power, Tunisian activists have warned, reported the Guardian. Out of the 161 seats of the Tunisian parliament, only 154 are occupied due to the lack of candidates for representatives of Tunisians living abroad. During the first session of the new parliament, on Monday, lawmakers elected their speaker, Ibrahim Bouderbala, the former president of the Bar Association and supposedly a staunch supporter of Saied, reported Reuters. ALSO WATCH | Tunisia Elections: Tunisians turn their back on election and President's agenda Notably, the new parliament will not have the same power that the previous one did as Saied sacked the government, froze parliament, and seized almost total power of the country in 2021 after which he also wrote a new constitution last year. According to this new constitution, the parliament cannot impeach the president or even hold the government accountable for their actions, as per media reports. Additionally, bills proposed by the president, in this Saied, will be prioritised as opposed to those put forward by other lawmakers. Journalists barred from attending the first session For the first time since the 2011 revolution when ousted late dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was in power Tunisia witnessed a ban on journalists. As only journalists from state-controlled media like the state TV, radio, and news agency were allowed to cover the proceedings of the first session of the new parliament on Monday. Meanwhile, journalists from foreign and private outlets were barred from the parliament building. ALSO READ | Tunisia: Govt expels ETUC chief for participating in protests against president’s policies “Lawmakers it is a shame. The press is under siege”, journalists outside the building chanted as per Reuters. The move was also defended by Fatma Mseddi, a newly elected MP who said that the decision was taken to avoid “disorder” and convey an “inappropriate image”. The national union of journalists in Tunisia also issued a statement which draws parallels between the current situation and the pre-revolution time. Amira Mohamed, vice president of the SNJT, told Reuters how the move is a “scandal and a serious violation of press freedom”. She added, “It harms the image of Tunisia and attacks the citizen's right to a free and pluralistic media.” Previously, speaking to the independent radio station Mosaique FM in Tunisia she had also said that media was being censored and that the union would “opt for escalation” if this ban continues. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Tunisian parliament convenes for the first time since 2021 suspension. Here's what happened

Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid on Saturday lost a confidence vote in parliament, after just a year and a half in office. 
 
A total of 118 MPs voted to unseat Essid, three voted for him to stay at the helm and 27 abstained. 
 
Essid&#39;s government has been widely criticised for failing to tackle the country&#39;s economic crisis, high unemployment and a series of jihadist attacks. He had been under growing pressure since President Beji Caid Essebsi appeared on local television in June to criticise the administration and propose creating a new government of national unity. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m quite aware that the vote will be against me,&quot; Essid, 67, had told parliament ahead of the planned vote. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t come to obtain the 109 votes (needed to remain in office). I came to expose things to the people and to members of parliament,&quot; he had said before the vote. 
 
Essid has been under growing pressure since President Beji Caid Essebsi appeared on local TV in June to slam the administration and propose creating a new government of national unity. 
 
The premier said he would be ready to resign &quot;if the country&#39;s interest demanded it&quot;, but has said he refused to leave under pressure without a vote of confidence. 
 
Essid had already been forced into a broad reshuffle in January, when the country witnessed some of its worst social unrest since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. 
 
His supporters have condemned &quot;pressure&quot; from supporters of Hafedh Caid Essebsi, the president&#39;s son who is among the leaders of the Nidaa Tounes party. 
 
Essid&#39;s coalition government includes four groups including the party Essebsi founded in 2012, Nidaa Tounes, and the Islamist Ennahda party. 
 
Tunisia, whose 2011 uprising inspired similar revolts across Arab countries, has been touted as a regional example of a successful transition to democracy after a revolution. 
 
But successive governments have struggled to tackle a jihadist insurgency and to revive the country&#39;s flagging economy. 
 
Security forces frequently engage in deadly clashes with extremist groups in the mountainous west of the country. 
 
Last year the Islamic State jihadist group claimed two high-profile attacks in Tunisia that killed 59 foreign tourists.&nbsp; 
 
The country has been in a state of emergency since November, when a suicide bombing, also claimed by IS, killed 12 presidential guards in central Tunis. 
 
Economic growth slowed to 0.8 per cent last year from 2.3 per cent in 2014, and unemployment nationwide stood at 15 per cent at the end of last year. 
 
(AFP)

118 MPs voted to unseat Essid who has been criticised for failing to tackle the country's economic crisis, unemployment and jihadist attacks

Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid on Saturday lost a confidence vote in parliament, after just a year and a half in office. A total of 118 MPs voted to unseat Essid, three voted for him to stay at the helm and 27 abstained. Essid's government has been widely criticised for failing to tackle the country's economic crisis, high unemployment and a series of jihadist attacks. He had been under growing pressure since President Beji Caid Essebsi appeared on local television in June to criticise the administration and propose creating a new government of national unity. "I'm quite aware that the vote will be against me," Essid, 67, had told parliament ahead of the planned vote. "I didn't come to obtain the 109 votes (needed to remain in office). I came to expose things to the people and to members of parliament," he had said before the vote. Essid has been under growing pressure since President Beji Caid Essebsi appeared on local TV in June to slam the administration and propose creating a new government of national unity. The premier said he would be ready to resign "if the country's interest demanded it", but has said he refused to leave under pressure without a vote of confidence. Essid had already been forced into a broad reshuffle in January, when the country witnessed some of its worst social unrest since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. His supporters have condemned "pressure" from supporters of Hafedh Caid Essebsi, the president's son who is among the leaders of the Nidaa Tounes party. Essid's coalition government includes four groups including the party Essebsi founded in 2012, Nidaa Tounes, and the Islamist Ennahda party. Tunisia, whose 2011 uprising inspired similar revolts across Arab countries, has been touted as a regional example of a successful transition to democracy after a revolution. But successive governments have struggled to tackle a jihadist insurgency and to revive the country's flagging economy. Security forces frequently engage in deadly clashes with extremist groups in the mountainous west of the country. Last year the Islamic State jihadist group claimed two high-profile attacks in Tunisia that killed 59 foreign tourists. The country has been in a state of emergency since November, when a suicide bombing, also claimed by IS, killed 12 presidential guards in central Tunis. Economic growth slowed to 0.8 per cent last year from 2.3 per cent in 2014, and unemployment nationwide stood at 15 per cent at the end of last year. (AFP)

Tunisian PM Habib Essid loses parliamentary confidence vote

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Tunisian parliament convenes for the first time since 2021 suspension. Here's what happened

Tunisian PM Habib Essid loses parliamentary confidence vote