Summary:

On April 13, the internal oversight committee of Tunisia’s Parliament approved new rules governing the conduct of the parliament, some of which may conflict with the country’s new constitution.  

The Parliament’s Committee on Internal Regulations approved Article 4 of the draft internal system of parliament which has reportedly created a conflict with the constitution. The conflict arises specifically over the requirement for representatives to declare financial gains and conflicts of interest. 

The committee asserted that, due to the suspension of the activities of the National Anti-Corruption Authority (INLUCC), the government lacked a clear authority to whom such declarations of gains and conflicts of interest could be submitted. In August 2021, President Saied ordered the dismissal of the INLUCC’s leader and ordered the Ministry of the Interior to remove workers from the organization’s headquarters.

Outlook:  

Some commentators have called the adoption of revised parliamentary regulations a “rebellion” against President Saied. However, others insist this is merely a procedural issue that can easily be resolved by the appointment of an appropriate authority to which representatives can report their financial gains and potential conflicts of interest.

The current Parliament has been widely dismissed by many critics of Saied as lacking authority to hold the executive branch of government accountable. However, this development could lead to the reinstatement of a new anti-corruption authority.

Our team is continuing to monitor political developments across Tunisia for potential indications of conflicts that could result in changes in the risk environment.

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