Tunisian President Kais Saied stated on Tuesday that he is resolute in rectifying the conditions in the country, emphasizing, “There is no going back.”
These comments were made during his visit to Sejoumi district in the capital, Tunis, on the occasion of the country’s 66th Republic Day, a speech that was broadcasted live on the official Facebook page of the Presidency.
On Tuesday, Tunisia celebrated Republic Day, which dates back to July 25, 1957. This day marked the declaration by the Tunisian Constituent Assembly of the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the republic.
The 66th Republic Day also coincides with the second anniversary of Saied’s extraordinary measures taken on July 25, 2021. These measures included suspending the work of the Parliament, dismissing the Prime Minister, dissolving the Supreme Judicial Council, and enacting a new constitution for the country, among other actions.
During his interaction with the public, Saied reiterated his stand, stating, “We are moving forward, and there is no retreat,” referencing the pre-extraordinary measures period.
A video of the visit revealed numerous citizens complaining about water and power outages, and a bread shortage. In response, Saied reassured them that “there is careful monitoring of these problems across all regions of the country.”
He attributed these challenges to the “extreme rise in temperatures and the interdependence of water supply on the electrical current.”
Addressing the Tunisian people, he acknowledged their discomfort, saying, “I know that you are feeling suffocated, but all these problems will be resolved soon.”
Tunisia has been grappling with water shortages due to drought, as well as electricity cut-offs caused by extreme temperatures and excessive power consumption.
Since 2021, grain production in Tunisia has declined due to climatic reasons. The consequences of this downturn were soon reflected in local markets, with an insufficient supply of wheat, which is used in bread production, becoming a concern.
