Tunisian President Kais Saied’s announcement that the presidency was prepared to oversee national dialogue among the youth, without the participation of political parties, labor union or the government, has drawn criticism in the country.
Former foreign minister and leading Ennahda movement member Rafik Abdel Salam dismissed the move, describing the idea of hosting a dialogue for the youth aimed at overcoming the political and social crisis as a “joke” and farce.
He added that the proposal was made by the presidency and passed down to “failed” youth organizations that are being rallied on social media.
He also compared Saied to late Libya leader Moammar al-Gaddafi, whom he alleged exploited the people to further his goals.
“Saied is moving in Gaddafi’s footsteps, who used to falsely claim that he was just a leader and that the real authority was in the hands of the people, through its popular and national committees,” said Abdel Salam.
In truth “Saied wants to move along the same path and claim that the youth have the ultimate say, whereas the president is no more than the executor of their popular agendas,” he explained.
Saied has said that the dialogue with the youth would be aimed at listening to their ideas and drafting proposals and demands over local affairs. They would later be expanded by experts with the aim of applying them on a national scale.
The president had adopted this same approach during his electoral campaign that ultimately saw him elected to office.
Spokesman for the Tunisian General Labor Union Sami al-Taheri also criticized the president’s dialogue call, saying he has disrespected the authority of the state.
He suggested that Saied was better off continuing consultations with the union, which had months ago submitted a detailed proposal about dialogue.
Taheri said the union was surprised by the president’s announcement of the youth dialogue that goes against everything he had discussed with them in past months.
The president should have informed the media that he had “backed down” from the union’s initiative, he stated.
