Tunisian President Kais Saied stated on Thursday that "there is no going back" and no dialogue with those he referred to as "cancerous cells," rejecting discussions with his opponents who described his control of the executive authority and the freezing of the parliament as a coup. On July 25, Saied dismissed Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi and suspended parliamentary work for a renewable month as part of exceptional measures he claimed were necessary for the nation's welfare to save the country from a politically, economically, and socially decayed situation.
After characterizing his actions as a coup against the constitution, the Ennahda Islamic party sought, in a statement on Thursday, to open bridges for dialogue with Saied, expressing its eagerness to talk with the president to resolve the crisis. However, Saied replied in a video posted by the presidency, in response to calls for discussions regarding the crisis: "There is no dialogue except with the honest ones," and one cannot engage in dialogue with "cancerous cells." He added, "Bread and water, there is no going back," referencing a famous slogan chanted by protesters in 2011 against former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali when they raised their voices with "Bread and water, and Ben Ali no."
Approximately 11 days after this surprising move, Saied has not appointed a new prime minister nor announced any steps to end the state of emergency or plans for the upcoming period. The powerful Tunisian General Labour Union, along with the United States and France, have urged him to expedite the appointment of a new government. The labor union is said to be preparing a roadmap to resolve the crisis, which it will present to Saied.
On Thursday, Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and senior member Jim Risch expressed "grave concern" over the rising tensions and unrest in Tunisia. They stated in a joint email, "President (Kais) Saied must return to adhering to democratic principles that support U.S.-Tunisian relations, and the military must uphold its role within a constitutional democracy."
Former Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi appeared publicly for the first time since his dismissal on Thursday. He was seen in photos published by the Anti-Corruption Authority, which claimed they were taken on Thursday at their offices during his asset declaration.
