Tunisia’s main political parties have accused the president of staging a coup after he sacked the prime minister and suspended parliament.
Kais Saied says he acted in accordance with the constitution.
The move followed Sunday’s violent mass protests over the government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and the economic and social turmoil.
Late on Monday, dismissed PM Hichem Mechichi said he would hand his powers to whoever is appointed by Mr. Saied.
In a statement, Mr. Mechichi said he did not want to play the role of a “disruptive element”.
His comments came amid growing calls from the international community for restraint.
In a telephone call on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the Tunisian president to “maintain an open dialogue with all political actors and the Tunisian people”, according to his office.
The UN said “all disputes… should be resolved through dialogue”, while the EU urged all sides involved to respect the rule of law and avoid violence.
There were similar appeals from the Arab League, Russia, and Qatar.
Clashes among Mr. Saied’s supporters and opponents continued on Monday in the capital Tunis.
They threw stones at each other outside the legislature, which has been barricaded by troops.
Mr. Saied, an independent who was elected in 2019, has had a long-standing feud with Mr. Mechichi, who has the backing of the largest party in parliament, the moderate Islamists Ennahda.
The president has also sacked the defense and justice ministers.
Tunisia’s revolution in 2011 is often held up as the sole success of the Arab Spring revolts across the region – but it has not led to stability economically or politically.
The recent spike in Covid cases has fuelled long-standing public frustration. The health minister of Tunisia was sacked last week after a bungled vaccination drive.
‘Until social peace returns’
On Sunday, thousands of people across Tunisia demonstrated against the PM and Ennahda.
The party’s local headquarters in the southwestern city of Tozeur were set on fire.
In a televised address, Mr. Saied said: “We have taken these decisions… until social peace returns to Tunisia and until we save the state.”
He vowed to respond to further violence with military force.
In the early hours of Monday, the speaker of parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, who leads Ennahda, tried to get into the legislature. When he was blocked by Mr. Saied’s supporters, he and his own loyalists staged a sit-down protest.
Later on Monday, Al-Jazeera TV, which has been viewed as sympathetic to Ennahda, said security forces had raided its offices in Tunis, unplugging all equipment and telling staff to leave.
Related Article: Tunisia’s PM sacked after violent Covid protests
SOURCE: BBCNEWS
