First modification:
Kaïs Saïed announced through a video that he will remove the independent body in charge of guaranteeing judicial autonomy, alleging partiality, acting for certain interests and delaying the processes in cases of corruption and terrorism. “The place of the judges of the CSM is not where they are but on the bench”, she attacked.
This Sunday, the president of Tunisia Kaïs Saïed said that he made the decision to undo the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) of the Judicial Power, which is in charge of the appointment of judges. “The CSM is a thing of the past from this moment on,” he assured in a broadcast video where he is seen conversing with ministers.
The CSM is an independent constitutional body created in 2016 consisting of 45 members -two thirds elected by Parliament- and which aims to ensure judicial autonomy. However, the Head of State blames him for being partial, working for specific interests and for delaying the resolution of cases of terrorism and corruption, including the investigation into the murders of left-wing activists in 2013.
“Unfortunately, in this country, some court judges have manipulated Chokri Belaïd’s file,” Saïed said, referring to the case of the leftist leader who was shot in front of his home precisely nine years ago.
Hours after the announcement, a demonstration was held that was planned to commemorate this death and that of Mohamed Brahmi, killed under the same conditions, but in July 2013. Both events were claimed by the Islamic State group. Saïed charged that this is not the first trial in which members of the CSM “try to hide the truth for years.”
“In this council, positions and appointments are sold. They cannot imagine the money that certain judges have been able to receive. Thousands and billions”, blamed the Tunisian president, who added that “the place of the judges of the CSM is not where they are, but should be the bench”.
The “July 25” movement where most of his followers are active had asked him on Saturday to dissolve the CSM to “purge” the judiciary of corrupt members. In response, the president confirmed that he was working “on a provisional decree” for the reorganization of the judicial body, from which he had already taken benefits a few weeks ago, and asked them to take to the streets this Sunday.
In a dialogue with the Reuters agency, Youssef Bouzakher – head of the CSM – assured that the president’s decision to dissolve the organization is illegal and also constitutes an effort to put the judiciary under his orders. “The judges will not be silent,” he warned.
According to analysts, Ennahda’s party is the main target of the Tunisian president since they have controlled the Parliament and the different Administrations since the 2011 revolution and the fall of the dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The preponderant opposition bloc was targeted by the Head of State to block the progress of the Belaïd and Brahmi files.
Saïed, a populist politician who was elected in 2019, has progressively concentrated all power since last July 25, the date on which he dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspended Parliament’s activities.
Immediately, all the powers were awarded, an action that was described by the opposition -especially by the Ennahda party- as “a coup d’état”. Despite having appointed a government, he makes decisions through the issuance of decrees and in December announced a referendum to reform the constitution and legislative elections by the end of 2022.
WITH AFP and REUTERS
First modification:
Kaïs Saïed announced through a video that he will remove the independent body in charge of guaranteeing judicial autonomy, alleging partiality, acting for certain interests and delaying the processes in cases of corruption and terrorism. “The place of the judges of the CSM is not where they are but on the bench”, she attacked.
This Sunday, the president of Tunisia Kaïs Saïed said that he made the decision to undo the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) of the Judicial Power, which is in charge of the appointment of judges. “The CSM is a thing of the past from this moment on,” he assured in a broadcast video where he is seen conversing with ministers.
The CSM is an independent constitutional body created in 2016 consisting of 45 members -two thirds elected by Parliament- and which aims to ensure judicial autonomy. However, the Head of State blames him for being partial, working for specific interests and for delaying the resolution of cases of terrorism and corruption, including the investigation into the murders of left-wing activists in 2013.
“Unfortunately, in this country, some court judges have manipulated Chokri Belaïd’s file,” Saïed said, referring to the case of the leftist leader who was shot in front of his home precisely nine years ago.
Hours after the announcement, a demonstration was held that was planned to commemorate this death and that of Mohamed Brahmi, killed under the same conditions, but in July 2013. Both events were claimed by the Islamic State group. Saïed charged that this is not the first trial in which members of the CSM “try to hide the truth for years.”
“In this council, positions and appointments are sold. They cannot imagine the money that certain judges have been able to receive. Thousands and billions”, blamed the Tunisian president, who added that “the place of the judges of the CSM is not where they are, but should be the bench”.
The “July 25” movement where most of his followers are active had asked him on Saturday to dissolve the CSM to “purge” the judiciary of corrupt members. In response, the president confirmed that he was working “on a provisional decree” for the reorganization of the judicial body, from which he had already taken benefits a few weeks ago, and asked them to take to the streets this Sunday.
In a dialogue with the Reuters agency, Youssef Bouzakher – head of the CSM – assured that the president’s decision to dissolve the organization is illegal and also constitutes an effort to put the judiciary under his orders. “The judges will not be silent,” he warned.
According to analysts, Ennahda’s party is the main target of the Tunisian president since they have controlled the Parliament and the different Administrations since the 2011 revolution and the fall of the dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The preponderant opposition bloc was targeted by the Head of State to block the progress of the Belaïd and Brahmi files.
Saïed, a populist politician who was elected in 2019, has progressively concentrated all power since last July 25, the date on which he dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspended Parliament’s activities.
Immediately, all the powers were awarded, an action that was described by the opposition -especially by the Ennahda party- as “a coup d’état”. Despite having appointed a government, he makes decisions through the issuance of decrees and in December announced a referendum to reform the constitution and legislative elections by the end of 2022.
WITH AFP and REUTERS
First modification:
Kaïs Saïed announced through a video that he will remove the independent body in charge of guaranteeing judicial autonomy, alleging partiality, acting for certain interests and delaying the processes in cases of corruption and terrorism. “The place of the judges of the CSM is not where they are but on the bench”, she attacked.
This Sunday, the president of Tunisia Kaïs Saïed said that he made the decision to undo the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) of the Judicial Power, which is in charge of the appointment of judges. “The CSM is a thing of the past from this moment on,” he assured in a broadcast video where he is seen conversing with ministers.
The CSM is an independent constitutional body created in 2016 consisting of 45 members -two thirds elected by Parliament- and which aims to ensure judicial autonomy. However, the Head of State blames him for being partial, working for specific interests and for delaying the resolution of cases of terrorism and corruption, including the investigation into the murders of left-wing activists in 2013.
“Unfortunately, in this country, some court judges have manipulated Chokri Belaïd’s file,” Saïed said, referring to the case of the leftist leader who was shot in front of his home precisely nine years ago.
Hours after the announcement, a demonstration was held that was planned to commemorate this death and that of Mohamed Brahmi, killed under the same conditions, but in July 2013. Both events were claimed by the Islamic State group. Saïed charged that this is not the first trial in which members of the CSM “try to hide the truth for years.”
“In this council, positions and appointments are sold. They cannot imagine the money that certain judges have been able to receive. Thousands and billions”, blamed the Tunisian president, who added that “the place of the judges of the CSM is not where they are, but should be the bench”.
The “July 25” movement where most of his followers are active had asked him on Saturday to dissolve the CSM to “purge” the judiciary of corrupt members. In response, the president confirmed that he was working “on a provisional decree” for the reorganization of the judicial body, from which he had already taken benefits a few weeks ago, and asked them to take to the streets this Sunday.
In a dialogue with the Reuters agency, Youssef Bouzakher – head of the CSM – assured that the president’s decision to dissolve the organization is illegal and also constitutes an effort to put the judiciary under his orders. “The judges will not be silent,” he warned.
According to analysts, Ennahda’s party is the main target of the Tunisian president since they have controlled the Parliament and the different Administrations since the 2011 revolution and the fall of the dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The preponderant opposition bloc was targeted by the Head of State to block the progress of the Belaïd and Brahmi files.
Saïed, a populist politician who was elected in 2019, has progressively concentrated all power since last July 25, the date on which he dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspended Parliament’s activities.
Immediately, all the powers were awarded, an action that was described by the opposition -especially by the Ennahda party- as “a coup d’état”. Despite having appointed a government, he makes decisions through the issuance of decrees and in December announced a referendum to reform the constitution and legislative elections by the end of 2022.
WITH AFP and REUTERS
First modification:
Kaïs Saïed announced through a video that he will remove the independent body in charge of guaranteeing judicial autonomy, alleging partiality, acting for certain interests and delaying the processes in cases of corruption and terrorism. “The place of the judges of the CSM is not where they are but on the bench”, she attacked.
This Sunday, the president of Tunisia Kaïs Saïed said that he made the decision to undo the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) of the Judicial Power, which is in charge of the appointment of judges. “The CSM is a thing of the past from this moment on,” he assured in a broadcast video where he is seen conversing with ministers.
The CSM is an independent constitutional body created in 2016 consisting of 45 members -two thirds elected by Parliament- and which aims to ensure judicial autonomy. However, the Head of State blames him for being partial, working for specific interests and for delaying the resolution of cases of terrorism and corruption, including the investigation into the murders of left-wing activists in 2013.
“Unfortunately, in this country, some court judges have manipulated Chokri Belaïd’s file,” Saïed said, referring to the case of the leftist leader who was shot in front of his home precisely nine years ago.
Hours after the announcement, a demonstration was held that was planned to commemorate this death and that of Mohamed Brahmi, killed under the same conditions, but in July 2013. Both events were claimed by the Islamic State group. Saïed charged that this is not the first trial in which members of the CSM “try to hide the truth for years.”
“In this council, positions and appointments are sold. They cannot imagine the money that certain judges have been able to receive. Thousands and billions”, blamed the Tunisian president, who added that “the place of the judges of the CSM is not where they are, but should be the bench”.
The “July 25” movement where most of his followers are active had asked him on Saturday to dissolve the CSM to “purge” the judiciary of corrupt members. In response, the president confirmed that he was working “on a provisional decree” for the reorganization of the judicial body, from which he had already taken benefits a few weeks ago, and asked them to take to the streets this Sunday.
In a dialogue with the Reuters agency, Youssef Bouzakher – head of the CSM – assured that the president’s decision to dissolve the organization is illegal and also constitutes an effort to put the judiciary under his orders. “The judges will not be silent,” he warned.
According to analysts, Ennahda’s party is the main target of the Tunisian president since they have controlled the Parliament and the different Administrations since the 2011 revolution and the fall of the dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The preponderant opposition bloc was targeted by the Head of State to block the progress of the Belaïd and Brahmi files.
Saïed, a populist politician who was elected in 2019, has progressively concentrated all power since last July 25, the date on which he dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspended Parliament’s activities.
Immediately, all the powers were awarded, an action that was described by the opposition -especially by the Ennahda party- as “a coup d’état”. Despite having appointed a government, he makes decisions through the issuance of decrees and in December announced a referendum to reform the constitution and legislative elections by the end of 2022.
WITH AFP and REUTERS