Tunisian President, US Officials Discuss Swift Return to ‘Democratic Path’

TUNIS, TUNISIA - Tunisia’s President Kais Saied spoke Saturday with U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who conveyed U.S. President Joe Biden's strong support for the people of Tunisia and for Tunisian democracy, National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said in a White House press release.

The two spoke for an hour and “focused on the critical need for Tunisian leaders to outline a swift return to Tunisia's democratic path," the press release said. Sullivan underscored that this will require “rapidly forming a new government, led by a capable prime minister to stabilize Tunisia's economy and confront the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as ensuring the timely return of the elected parliament. “As Tunisia’s leaders answer the widely expressed demands of Tunisians for improved standards of living and honest governance, the United States and other friends of the Tunisian people stand ready to redouble our efforts to help Tunisia move toward a secure, prosperous, and democratic future,” the statement concluded. On Friday, Tunisian authorities jailed an opposition lawmaker and briefly detained four members of the powerful Islamist movement Ennahdha in the wake of the president's decision to seize exceptional powers, according to Tunisian media reports.