More than 130 prominent officials from Tunisia's Islamist Ennahda movement, including lawmakers and former ministers, have resigned in protest at the leadership's performance.
Former Minister of Health Abdellatif Mekki, who resigned from the movement last week, confirmed the new resignations.
He announced a "joint action" among the resigned leaders, saying its framework will be determined later.
Local media published a list of Ennahda's resigned leaders along with their posts, ranging from members of the Constituent Assembly, members of the parliament and Shura Council, and regional and local representatives.
Most of the members who resigned said the current party leadership is responsible for Ennahda's isolation and mainly for the deteriorating situation in the country.
They claimed wrong choices were made by Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi and slammed a lack of internal reforms with the party.
They said the party leadership has failed to counter controversial executive actions taken by President Kais Saied, who has suspended parliament and vowed to rule by decree.
The Reform Group, which includes more than 100 leaders, called for an honest confrontation with the new political system. Ghannouchi, in turn, dismissed the party's executive committee in an effort to calm protests against him.
He called for a "peaceful struggle" against "absolute one-man rule," adding: "We call on the people to take part in peaceful actions to resist dictatorship and return Tunisia to the path of democracy."
Former Ennahda leader Abdelhamid Jelassi, who resigned last year, revealed he would establish a new party that will include former members from the movement, according to several observers.
Jelassi announced a new political-intellectual forum, which observers considered a step towards presenting a political offer for a unique experience in political action.
Meanwhile, Nofal Saied, the President's brother, called on the opponents of the President's decisions to use other methods to express their views.
The Presidency did not comment on the sit-in organized by Ennahda and several parties opposing the President against his exceptional measures.
