Op-Ed: New constitution will not bridge Tunisia’s divides

As expected, the publication of Tunisia’s proposed new constitution has not defused political tensions nor painted a clearer picture of where the country is heading. Rather, the draft, to be submitted to a national referendum on July 25, has only hardened positions around President Kais Saied, who seems unlikely to be distracted from the pursuit of his agenda. Despite issuing “corrections” to the constitutional text, Saied has not managed to dispel the concerns of critics that the proposed constitution would allow the president to concentrate virtually all executive powers in his hands, with little to balance out his influence. [...] Concerns about obstructionism by the previous parliament have now given way to fears of weakened legislative power. [...] Discussion of the new constitution has taken Tunisia back to the acrimonious debates of the last decade about the place of religion and identity in politics. [...] Ironically, many Tunisians are equally worried by what happens if the draft is defeated by the referendum, especially since the president has not committed to resigning and holding early elections should his constitution be rejected.
Read the full article here: Arab Weekly