Tunisian President Kais Saied intends to suspend the constitution and may offer changes to the political system through a referendum, a key adviser told Sky News Arabia Thursday.
In late July, Mr Saied sacked the government, froze Parliament and assumed sole control of the country. His aide's comments are the first indication of the president's intentions for Tunisia's future.
"There will be no going back to the previous system," adviser Walid Hajjem said.
“There is going to be a change to the political system in Tunisia, moving towards something more just, with more defined responsibilities and with a greater opportunity to exercise necessary power.”
Since the days just after the 2011 uprising, Mr Saied has campaigned for a radically decentralised government with a strong presidency and local councils that would manage Tunisia's affairs.
A populist without a party, he has long railed against the partisan nature of the Parliament, and many analysts believe the coming changes may propose eliminating the legislature altogether.
There has been growing pressure on Mr Saied from domestic and foreign allies to release a roadmap out of the crisis. Civil society groups, ambassadors from the Group of Seven wealthy nations, and two US senators have urged him to reveal his plans and return the country to a democratic path.
This week the influential General Tunisian Workers' Union, or UGTT, indicated it supported reforming the political process, but said transparency and a roadmap was essential.
UGTT secretary general Noureddine Taboubi said at a meeting on Wednesday that the union would support working to “build a civil, democratic, social state" that guarantees "justice, fairness, rule of law".
Mr Saied will soon share his plan with the country, Mr Hajjem, told Reuters on Thursday. He said "changing the system means changing the constitution through a referendum".
Habib Sayah, a Tunisian political risk analyst, says a referendum would provoke a great number of questions.
Unlike the 2014 constitution, which was drafted over three years by an elected constituent assembly, a new constitution would be largely the work of Mr Saied and a small group of advisers.
"Is he going to give us an opportunity to debate his vision, propose some amendments and give him some reality checks?" Mr Sayah asked.
Since taking sole power, Mr Saied has become increasingly isolated, refusing to talk with political parties or civil society organisations.
The last meeting between the president and Mr Taboubi was the day after the initiation of the exceptional period, on July 26.
Mr Saied had broad popular support for his move early on from a populace exasperated by months of political deadlock, economic downturn and an untenable Covid-19 situation. But as momentum slowed from the palace, many of his supporters have grown anxious to see their president fulfil his promises.
Mr Taboubi warned that their support and patience should not be taken for granted.
"The Tunisian people can trust those in charge and give them the necessary time, but they are able to tell the difference between the truth and allegations," he said.
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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Brown/Black belt finals
3pm: 49kg female: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) v Thamires Aquino (BRA)
3.07pm: 56kg male: Hiago George (BRA) v Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA)
3.14pm: 55kg female: Amal Amjahid (BEL) v Bianca Basilio (BRA)
3.21pm: 62kg male: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) v Joao Miyao (BRA)
3.28pm: 62kg female: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR)
3.35pm: 69kg male: Isaac Doederlein (BRA) v Paulo Miyao (BRA)
3.42pm: 70kg female: Thamara Silva (BRA) v Alessandra Moss (AUS)
3.49pm: 77kg male: Oliver Lovell (GBR) v Tommy Langarkar (NOR)
3.56pm: 85kg male: Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE) v Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA)
4.03pm: 90kg female: Claire-France Thevenon (FRA) v Gabreili Passanha (BRA)
4.10pm: 94kg male: Adam Wardzinski (POL) v Kaynan Duarte (BRA)
4.17pm: 110kg male: Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE) v Joao Rocha (BRA
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
