TUNIS, Dec 4, Tunisia - The powerful UGTT union called for early elections on Saturday, saying it was concerned with the country's democratic gains because of the president's reluctance to announce a roadmap for political reforms.
More than four months after he seized all political powers, UGTT leader Noureddine Taboubi put more pressure on President Kais Saied, a leader of the UGTT, in a speech to thousands of supporters.
We supported July 25 because it was an opportunity to save the country and implement reforms, but we have become afraid for Tunisians' democratic gains because of the excessive reluctance to announce a roadmap that Taboubi said.
He said that the president should call for a dialogue with political parties and national organizations that include reviewing the electoral law and agreeing on early and transparent elections.
The UGTT union, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for helping build democracy in the birthplace of the Arab Spring, is a key political player in Tunisia.
Saied suspended parliament and dismantled the government on July 25, installing a new prime minister and announcing that he would rule by decree. Critics denounced his move as a coup.
The president has defended his takeover as the only way to end governmental squabbling and economic stagnation. Saied promised to end the emergency state quickly, but he hasn't given a date for that, and pressure has mounted for him to present a roadmap to return to parliamentary democracy.