Thousands of people demonstrated in Tunisia against the ruling system and deteriorating living conditions on the fifth anniversary of President Kais Saied’s rise to power, as the country grapples with a heat wave and frequent power and water outages.

The protesters chanted, “We want the downfall of the regime” along with “No light, no water, imprisonment and high prices.”

Wissam Sghaier, spokesperson for the Jomhouri opposition party, said, “We took to the streets today to hold the system of governance to account” and to expose its “failures.”

For his part, prominent Tunisian academic Mouldi Gassoumi emphasized that “this march is a popular civic call, to reclaim the values and principles of the republic.”

Saied won the presidency in 2019 with a landslide victory after a campaign focused on integrity and a break with the traditional political class.

On July 25, 2021, marking Tunisia’s Republic Day, Saied suspended parliament and consolidated executive powers. The opposition and NGOs condemn the decline in rights and freedoms in the country since then.

Harsh sentences have been handed down to many opposition figures, and a number of politicians, journalists, lawyers, and activists have been arrested or forced into exile.

Tunisia is experiencing power outages to alleviate pressure on the grid, which is no longer able to meet demand, particularly due to air conditioning. These outages have fueled anger and anxiety, especially in hospitals. (AFP)