Tunisia

TUNIS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia on Sunday kicked off national vaccination against COVID-19 as 335 centers across 24 provinces started to vaccinate citizens aged 40 and above.

This initiative was organized by the health ministry in coordination with the defense, interior and education ministries and in cooperation with several departments and components of the civil society.

The vaccination process started at 7:00 a.m. local time and will continue until 7:00 p.m.

08 Aug 2021; MEMO: MP of the Heart of Tunisia party Jawhar Al-Mughairbi announced on Friday that the party has decided to appeal the recent decisions made by President Kais Saied before the Administrative Court for the second time.

08 Aug 2021; MEMO: In a statement published on Friday, the Ennahda Movement expressed its rejection of the illegal procedure of placing former Minister of Transportation and Logistics Anwar Maaroufi under house arrest.

The movement emphasised that it would resort to the Administrative Court to appeal the arbitrary decision, due to its disregard for all conventional legal steps.

07 Aug 2021; MEMO: Tunisian President Kais Saied confirmed on Friday that he will never back down, in response to the requests, specifically from the Ennahda Movement, to retract some of the exceptional measures he issued earlier following the activation of Article 80 of the Constitution.

TUNIS, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied has appointed Ali Mrabet as the new health minister, the presidency said on Friday.

During the inauguration ceremony, the new minister "took the constitutional oath before the president, in accordance with article 89 of the Tunisian Constitution," a presidency statement said.

Mrabet is professor in epidemiology and public health.

On July 20, Tunisia's Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi removed Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi, amid rising COVID-19 cases in the North African country.

TUNIS, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Sitting on her rooftop in Tunis, political activist Fatma Jgham said she and her comrades backed the Tunisian president's seizure of governing powers but would maintain pressure on him if their demands were not met.

"We must hold a referendum on the constitution, and the demands of the people must not be turned around...not by you (the president) or anyone else," said Jgham, a 48-year old art teacher.

05 Aug 2021; MEMO: Tunisia's anti-corruption authority aired photographs dated on Thursday of ex-prime minister Hichem Mechichi declaring his properties at the agency's headquarters, reported Reuters.

This was his first public appearance since his July 25 dismissal by President Kais Saied.

06 Aug 2021; MEMO: Tunisian President Kais Saied will not allow parliament to return to work after the 30 day period of its suspension has passed, he will issue new directives to delay its return, the Secretary General of the People's Movement, Zuhair Maghzaoui, announced yesterday.

05 Aug 2021; MEMO: An old interview given by Tunisian President Kais Saied during his candidacy to the post confirms his predetermined intention to effect a coup against the constitution.

05 Aug 2021; MEMO: The Association of Tunisian Judges yesterday confirmed that the Supreme Judicial Council is the only body empowered by the Constitution to hold judges accountable and able to decide on the appropriate disciplinary course against them.