A constitutional referendum to be held next July, a year after he seized broad powers in moves his opponents call a coup, has been announced by the Tunisian president, Kais Saied.
The referendum will take place on July 25 after an online public consultation starting in January, according to Saied, who laid out the timeline for his proposed political changes in a televised speech. At the end of 2022, Parliamentary elections would be held.
Since he has suspended parliament, removed the prime minister, and assumed executive authority, a path out of the crisis has been awaited by Saied.
After years of economic stagnation and political stagnation, opposition to his stance has increased, including from political parties and other major domestic players that were initially supportive.
The delay in deciding 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 is the anniversary of 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 caused the Arab spring revolts.
In September, Saied brushed aside most of the democratic constitution to say he could rule by decree during a period of exceptional measures and promised a dialogue on further changes.
In Monday's speech he said that parliament would be 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 between political factions and civil society groups took part in the uprising.
In his speech, Saied said that we want to correct the paths of the revolution and history, after lambasting critics of his intervention.
Saied said he would hire a committee of experts to draft a new constitution that would be ready for the referendum in June.
A clear pathway to ordinary constitutional order may be important for Tunisia to get international financial assistance as it struggles to finance its fiscal deficit and debt repayments next year.
The International Monetary Fund has opened talks with the International Monetary Fund, but major donors have indicated they are not willing to step in without what they call an inclusive approach.
There was no immediate comment from Ennahda, the biggest party in parliament, or from the powerful UGTT labour union. Mohammed Abou, a former minister, said in a televised interview that Saied's violation of the constitution amounted to a coup.