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Tunisian president announces constitutional referendum to be held in July 2022

The Guardian reported, the Tunisian president, Kais Saied, has announced a constitutional referendum to be held next July, a year to the day after he seized broad powers in moves his opponents call a coup.
Laying out the timeline for his proposed political changes in a televised speech, Saied said the referendum would take place on 25 July, following an online public consultation starting in January. Parliamentary elections would follow at the end of 2022.
Saied’s announcement of a path out of the crisis has been awaited since he suspended parliament, dismissed the prime minister and assumed executive authority.

While those moves appeared very popular after years of economic stagnation and political paralysis, opposition to his stance has sharpened, including from political parties and other major domestic players that were initially supportive.
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The delay in detailing the path forward, and the two months it took Saied to name a new prime minister, have added to concerns about Tunisia’s ability to address an urgent crisis in its public finances.
The referendum date is Tunisia’s republic day and the anniversary of his sudden intervention, which has cast doubt on the north African country’s democratic gains since the 2011 revolution that triggered the “Arab spring” revolts.
Saied in September brushed aside most of the 2014 democratic constitution to say he could rule by decree during a period of exceptional measures, and promised a dialogue on further changes.
He said in Monday’s speech that parliament would remain suspended until Tunisians vote for a replacement assembly on 17 December 2022, the date he has declared to be the official anniversary of the revolution.
The anniversary had previously been marked on 14 January, the date when autocratic ruler Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country, after agreement among political factions and civil society groups that took part in the uprising.
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“We want to correct the paths of the revolution and history,” Saied said in his speech, after lambasting critics of his intervention.
Saied said he would appoint a committee of experts to draft a new constitution, to be ready by June ahead of the referendum.
A clear pathway to ordinary constitutional order may be important for Tunisia to secure international financial assistance as it struggles to finance its fiscal deficit and next year’s budget as well as debt repayments.
It has opened talks with the International Monetary Fund, but major donors have indicated they are not willing to step in without what they have called an “inclusive” approach.
A former minister, said in a televised interview that Saied’s “violation of the constitution” amounted to a coup, there was no immediate comment from Ennahda, the biggest party in parliament, or from the powerful UGTT labour union. Mohammed Abou.
Source: theguardian
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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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