Tunisia’s leader dissolves parliament after rogue session

By BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA
Associated Press

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s president has dissolved parliament in the latest blow to the North African country’s young democracy. President Kais Saied announced the decision Wednesday after lawmakers led by the opposition Islamist party held a virtual session seeking to annul his moves last year to assume sweeping powers. Among those moves, Saied suspended the activities of parliament, which has not officially convened since July. Saied argued at the time that the country was facing “imminent peril” because of protests and economic crisis, and he has governed the country by decree ever since. Tunisia was once seen as a model of democracy in the Arab world.