Tunisia : Saeed accuses the presidential election candidates of “serving Zionism.” The opposition calls on him to stay away from the “rhetoric of division”

Tunisian President Kais Saied accused the presidential election candidates of “throwing into the arms of foreigners” and “aiding for Zionism,” while the opposition called on him to move away from what it called “the rhetoric of division.”

During his meeting, on Wednesday, with Interior Minister Kamal El-Feki and security officials, Saeed stressed that “there is no tolerance for those who throw themselves into the arms of foreigners in preparation for the elections, and wipe themselves every day on the doorsteps of the headquarters of foreign departments.” Sometimes it is said that such-and-such a candidate is supported by this or that capital, and sometimes the name of a person is rumored, behind whom another person is hiding, and it is presented as being supported externally by this or that capital. The candidate who appears on the doorstep only cares about the party that promised him support, and he has absolutely nothing to do with the interest of the Tunisian people or Tunisia, in addition to the fact that the one who seeks support and backing from the colonial circles is despised by these same circles,” according to his expression.

He also called for “the judicial prosecution of a number of agents of the Zionist movement and the implementation of the provisions related to attacks on external state security stipulated in the provisions of the Penal Code.” Saeed explained that “a number of people who pretend to stand with the Palestinian people were informants and still are, and were receiving sums of money from the aggressor, usurping Zionists.”

He added in a presidential statement published Thursday morning on Facebook: “One of the strange ironies that Tunisia is witnessing these days is that whoever openly declared his betrayal and collusion, and even brazenly denounced the right of the Palestinian people to recover their entire land, while he was abroad, no case was raised against him.” Tunisian courts. Moreover, the one who publicly admitted that the Zionist movement supported his election campaign in 2019 has today become an opponent abroad and to this day receives huge millions from this same movement, which is waging a campaign of extermination against the Palestinian people, to attack his country.

He continued by saying: “Among the methods they have resorted to these days are paid media outlets that are being prepared to be broadcast, or television programs that are being arranged to be broadcast, or pages on social media whose locations are known.”

Saeed also pointed out that “one of those who present themselves every day is an expert in politics and strategies and had previously run on a party list, paid by the Zionist who was roaming freely in the corridors of the Bardo Palace and dictating his rulings to blow up the state and society.”

Electoral context

Saeed’s statements sparked widespread controversy on social media, where former MP Anwar Ben Chahed wrote: “It is clear that we are in an electoral context, and that all of the president’s movements that have intensified recently fall within this context, including this speech.” Speeches in electoral contexts usually stop at achievements and give visions for the coming period.”

He added: “From here, it is clear that the coming period - if the president is re-elected - will not deviate from the previous one, that is, repeated talk about monopoly, employment, and political opponents, and a great focus on the political aspect, which did not convince Tunisians, as evidenced by the participation rates in the various elections, Therefore, its results will not differ at all from the outcome of the past five years, and its characteristic is evasion of real problems and disavowal of responsibility, and Tunisians have witnessed its consequences, including the spread of unemployment, the deterioration of their purchasing power, the decline of their freedoms, and the difficulty of providing the most basic necessities of living.

He continued by saying: “On the political level, an important space was allocated by the president to distort his opponents, as if his voice was saying: “Elect me because I am the least bad of them,” and not all of them are worse than him, and Tunisians do not want the least bad, but rather the best to manage their affairs. In all cases, the president is required - politically and morally - to review his results and bear responsibility for his policies therein, whether positive or negative.”

He considered that what Tunisians need is “a comprehensive president who sets his sights solely on ensuring the well-being and advancement of the entire people, and this brings development, growth, and justice at all levels: social, fiscal, and judicial.” A president who is ready to transcend himself, including the distortions and beliefs that were popular in the seventies and have transcended time, is able to bring together all the forces of the country in order to achieve this well-being for the country. Qais Saeed does not meet these minimum conditions.”

Researcher and political activist Raja Ben Salamah commented on Saeed’s statement by saying: “This means that whoever is running against the president is an agent, a traitor, and criminal and Zionist networks, wiping at the doorsteps of external parties and lobbies, inflaming the situation, and...”

She added: “Is this reasonable, Election Commission?” An early election campaign that includes an attack on any possible competitor? Oh my God.. Are these words that can reassure, instill confidence and reconciliation? We must remain silent, otherwise the sword of Decree 54 (on electronic crimes) will be over our heads!”

Duplicate letter

The leader of the Democratic Current Party, Hisham Al-Ajbouni, addressed President Kais Saied, saying: “By God, if you had achieved real achievements for the benefit of the people since you assumed power in 2019, no one would have paid attention to the opponents, informants, and sweepers on the doorsteps of the embassies, but the political, economic and social situation under your leadership is about to deteriorate one day.” after a day".

Al-Ajouni asked: “When will you change the way you exercise power, and present to Tunisians a positive speech that gives them hope instead of frustration?” When will you realize that you are the president of all Tunisians and not the president of some of them? When will you understand that Tunisians elected you to improve their situation and not to curse the opposition day and night? When will you understand that repeating the same rhetoric, the same phrases, and the same threats for more than two years is an admission of failure to achieve tangible achievements for Tunisians? When will you understand that your role is to gather all energies and not to divide Tunisians and undermine the foundations of coexistence?”

Midnight hallucinations

In turn, the head of the Al-Majd Party, Abdul Wahab Al-Hani, wrote: “What is this? A tense, vague, and barely clear communication to the Presidency of the Republic, shortly before midnight, was interspersed with some errors and meaningless vocabulary due to the ailment of the building, or it was “delirium,” “psychosis,” or “hallucinations” of midnight insomnia. He said, “There is no head or foundation,” and he launched haphazard accusations against “ghost” parties and people whom he accused of working for the Zionist movement seeking to compete with him in the presidential elections. Does the President of the Republic mean his head of government for exceptional measures, or his minister for exceptional measures for foreign affairs, or his colleague for the interior, or his colleague for agriculture, or his colleague for social affairs, and the group of runners for the caliphate from his close circle, when he talks about “those who throw themselves into the arms of the outside world” and “the one who seeks support and assistance from The same colonial circles despise him?”

He added: “In a self-respecting country, whoever drafted the presidential communication tonight must be subjected to an analysis of the levels of alcohol and drugs in the blood and other hallucinogenic pills and prohibited psychotropic substances, and must be subjected to forensic psychiatric and mental medicine, and the Public Prosecution must open an investigation into the hallucinatory accusations contained in the contents of the communication.” “.

Al-Hani continued: “The statement attributes the words to the President of the Republic. Does the President of the Republic realize what he is saying? Who wants the President of the Republic to appear this delusional and delusional?

Saied's statements come months before the presidential elections, which the head of the Election Commission, Farouk Bouaskar, confirmed will be held on schedule between next September and October.