Politics

Tunisian President Saied sets up committee to write ‘New Republic’ constitution

Published

3 years ago

May 3, 2022

Tunisian President Kais Saied has set in motion a process to form a committee that will write a ‘New Republic’ constitution for the country currently going through political turmoil, adding that the committee will conclude its work within a few days.

President Saied, in a televised speech on Monday night, said he is rewriting the North African country’s democratic constitution which was introduced after the 2011 revolution, stressing that he will put the rewritten constitution to a referendum in July.

Saied added that a national dialogue on reforms will include four major organisations in the country comprising the UGTT Labour Union, the Lawyers Union, the Federation of Industry and Trade and the Tunisian League of Human Rights.

Saied said his actions were legal and what is needed to save Tunisia from a crisis, and by rewriting the constitution, he was taking steps to focus on restructuring Tunisian political structure.

Saied’s seizure of powers in 2021 had initially been welcome by many Tunisian citizens and was very popular before he angered most of Tunisia’s political establishment by dismissing the parliament and taking control of the judiciary.

Last month, Saied also seized control of the country’s election commission after he sacked the body and named his loyalists as members with himself as the head of the commission.

The move has been seen as a blow to the democratic gains of the country’s 2011 revolution and meant to stifle dissenting voices by opposition groups

Meanwhile, the country is going through an economic crisis which has caused economic stagnation and governmental paralysis as the government has been struggling to finance its 2022 deficit and repay foreign debts.

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

4 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.