Politics

Tunisian activists pick holes in new Constitution as it establishes dictatorship under President Saied

Published

2 years ago

July 2, 2022

Tunisian activists have picked holes in the proposed constitution presented to President Kais Saied by a committee he had set up to come up with the draft.

The draft of the constitution which was published in Tunisia’s official gazette late on Thursday, will be voted on in a referendum on July 25, and if passed, will replace the 2014 constitution Saied discarded a year ago after dissolving the parliament.

While dissecting the new draft in debates on social media on Friday, majority of the activists said the new constitution would establish a dictatorship under Saied.

One of the most debated issues in the proposed constitution was the alleged use of ambiguous words in the terms and articles, with particular reference to the use of a word, Taghraa, which the activists claim refers to stamps used by former sultans and kings.

In the context of the new era, the activists claimed that Saied might be referring to ruling the country through presidential decrees.

The Tunisian activists are also worried that the text of the constitution gives Saied ultimate authority over the government and judiciary which stipulates that the government would answer to the president and not to parliament.

The new constitution also allows Saied to present draft laws, have sole responsibility for proposing treaties and drafting state budgets, appoint or sack government ministers and appoint judges.

The president would also serve two terms of five years each, but extend them if he feels there was an imminent danger to the state, and would have the right to dissolve parliament, while no clause allows for the removal of a president.

The proposed constitution also stipulates that the president would be the head of the armed forces and be charged with naming judges, who would be banned from striking, which the activists say would be dangerous to civil rule.

Another issue the activists did not find comfortable was in the first article of the document which removes references to both Islam and the civilian nature of Tunisia, and simply saying that the country is a free, independent and sovereign state.

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

2 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

3 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.