Summary:

On 13 March 2023, the Tunisian Parliament convened for the first time after it was shuttered on 25 July 2021 and then totally dissolved by President Kais Saied on 30 March 2022. This Parliament recently came to office via elections with just 11% voter turnout nationally in both an initial election and a subsequent runoff. They will operate under the new and untested constitution.

During the Parliament’s first meeting, Ibrahim Bouderbala, the former President of the Tunisian Bar Association, was elected as Speaker of the Parliament with a reported 83 votes. Two deputy speakers of the Parliament, Sawsan Al-Mabrouk, and Al-Anwar Al-Marzouqi, were also elected during the meeting.

Independent members of the media were prevented from entering Parliament to observe the meetings, causing journalists to hold a protest outside of the Parliament building. The National Salvation Front (NSF), Tunisia’s main political opposition coalition, has deliberately not acknowledged the Parliament, viewing it as an illegitimate body. 

MP Saleh Mbarki, who served as chair for the initial meeting of Parliament, stated: “Our duties as people’s representatives is to work in partnership with the executive authority for the unity of the state.” This view of Parliament’s function as “partnership” toward “unity” stands as a notable departure from the system of accountable checks and balances enshrined in the 2014 constitution.

Outlook:  

The opening sessions of Parliament have been met with skepticism from the international media and Tunisia’s political opposition who have labeled it as an extension of President Saied’s reversal of prior democratic gains. The functional capabilities and power of the body will become more clear with time. At present, the normalization of certain government functions may have a stabilizing effect on the overall security environment in Tunisia, even as it is cause for controversy among the political class.  Our team will continue to closely monitor political developments and how they may shape the risk environment.

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