Tunisia

12 May 2022; MEMO: Head of Tunisia's Ennahda Party, Rachid Ghannouchi, said that the opposition will not take part in President Kais Saied's planned referendum, Anadolu reported yesterday.

Ghannouchi, who was speaker of parliament befor Saied dissolved the government in July, said his movement's position on the referendum "is part of a national position front which is currently being formed."

11 May 2022; MEMO: Tunisia has tightened its security in recent days in preparation for the annual pilgrimage of Jews to El-Ghriba Synagogue on the island of Djerba in the south-east of the country, Anadolu has reported. Significant reinforcements have been deployed on access routes to the island, as well as checkpoints in the general tourist area.

Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine visited Djerba on Tuesday to oversee the latest security preparations before the start of the pilgrimage season, which will last from 14 to 22 May.

10 May 2022; MEMO: The Tunisian presidency announced yesterday the appointment of new members to the Independent High Authority for Elections Council.

09 May 2022; MEMO: President of Tunisia's Ennahda movement, Rached Ghannouchi, confirmed yesterday that his party does not fear accountability, adding that ten months have been spent "searching for evidence to convict Ennahda with" but this has so far "failed".

Ghannouchi said his party does not fear accountability: "They say we want accountability … Okay, go ahead and hold us accountable … Now you have spent ten months, go ahead and hold us accountable."

08 May 2022; MEMO: Hundreds of supporters of Tunisian President Kais Saied on Sunday demonstrated in the capital Tunis in a show of support for his "exceptional" measures, Anadolu Agency reported.

Supporters waved banners demanding Saied bring "corrupt" officials to accountability, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter on the ground.

"No dialogue, no election before accountability" read a banner waved by Saied's backers during the protest.

05 May 2022; MEMO: The Tunisian presidency announced on Wednesday that the "National Committee for the Establishment of a New Republic" will be responsible for carrying out reforms in the country, Anadolu has reported.

The announcement was made on the presidency's Facebook page. The committee will have two sub-committees. "The first will be dedicated to constitutional and political reforms, and the second will undertake economic and social reforms."

28 April 2022; MEMO: Tunisia could be saved if President Kais Saied was impeached, and presidential and parliamentary elections were held, former President Moncef Marzouki said yesterday.

"Saied's impeachment, reopening dissolved institutions, arranging a transition phase based on the constitution, changing the electoral law, and holding presidential and legislative elections overseen by an independent commission, are the bailout recipe for Tunisia," Marzouki said on Facebook.

25 April 2022; MEMO: The popularity of Tunisian President Kais Saied has declined since August to reach its lowest level since his election in 2019, a new poll has revealed.

Conducted by Insights TN, the poll revealed that popular support for Saied has fallen from 49.8 per cent in August, to 42.9 per cent in September, and 29.1 per cent in November.

Support for him fell further in February, at just 23.2 per cent.

26 April 2022; MEMO: Tunisia is facing a "stifling political crisis" that represents an "imminent, and grave danger" unprecedented in the country's modern history, President Kais Saied's former chief of staff warned yesterday.

Nadia Akacha, nicknamed the Iron Woman, the second Governor of Carthage surprised everyone on 24 January when she submitted her resignation citing "fundamental differences in viewpoints related to the higher interest of the nation".

TUNIS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 migrants have lost their lives and another 10 went missing after four boats carrying 120 migrants sank off Tunisia's eastern coast, Tunisia's private radio station Mosaique FM reported Sunday.

According to the radio station, 98 migrants onboard the boats have been rescued off the coast of Sfax city, and search is still underway for the missing migrants.

The migrants were trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, according to the report.