President’s ‘clean-up call’ worries Tunisians

Tunisians on social media have expressed concern at President Kaïs Saïed’s call for “the true Tunisian nationalists to clean up the country” from the those who “have embezzled the country’s funds”.

Speaking in a ministerial meeting, the president did not specify who were the “true nationalists” nor did he identify those who had “embezzled the country’s funds”.

It is seen by many as a divisive move and a dangerous call for the president’s supporters to harass his opponents.

“This statement means setting up militias from ‘the true nationalist’ to clean up the country with violence and abduction. It is a call for civil war,” wrote Mohamed Dhifallah on Twitter, in just one example.

Mr Saïed has been under pressure from opposition parties and organisations in the country as well the international community to restore the democratic institutions in the country.

Since suspending parliament last July lawyers, MPs, politicians and journalists have been arrested for taking a stand against the president’s decisions. TV channels and radio stations critical of Mr Saïed have also been shut down.

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