Tunisians head to the polls Monday to vote on a new constitution — a controversial initiative spearheaded by Tunisian President Kais Saied that critics say will formalize his power grab and reverse hard-won democratic gains in the North African nation.
Monday’s referendum marks one year to the day that Saied froze Tunisia’s parliament and dismissed his government — a move derided by critics as “a coup” but celebrated by Tunisians who had grown exasperated with the country’s political elites and years of economic stagnation. In the year since then, Saied has given himself the power to rule by decree and has fired dozens of judges, decisions that have provoked a series of protests.
