President Kais Saied Returns the 'Old Ruling Family' to Tunisia

“I am proud of you, my brother.” With these words, Naoufel Saied congratulated his brother, Tunisian President Kais Saied, on July 29, 2021, for the “constitutional coup” that took place in the country against the legislative, judicial and executive institutions.

This was not the first time that Naoufel recorded his interference in the country's political affairs, in a scene that recalls what Tunisia and some Arab countries experienced from the persecution of the ruling families and was one of the reasons for the outbreak of the 2011 Arab Spring.

Unexpectedly and far from formalities, Naoufel Saied wrote in a previous post, that the Tunisian president's statements "are not a coup and are fully consistent with the constitution."

This was considered by observers as an unofficial way to legitimize Kais Saied's decision to freeze parliament and grant himself executive authority in the face of an imminent threat to the country, according to Saied's statement.

On July 25, 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied announced the dismissal of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, the freezing of the activities and powers of Parliament for a period of 30 days, the lifting of immunity from deputies, and legal measures against those whose immunity prevented their trial.

 

Very Suspicious

The brother of the Tunisian President used his Facebook page, which is followed by more than 29,000, as a platform to express his political views without reservation.

He also commented on decisions that concern the country and related to his speciality, on every occasion or after every speech delivered by the president.

The two brothers, who are from Beni Khiar, which is located in the governorate of Nabeul, grew up in Rades, a suburb of Tunis, and both followed the law department.

Naoufel first went to high school, and was an assistant at the Faculty of Legal Sciences in Tunis, before joining an auditing, accounting and consulting firm, and then became a lawyer.

Naoufel has always supported his brother unconditionally. They analyzed together the events that make and destroy the world, as the two men have a very close brotherly relationship that raises the fear of some.

Until the day after the inauguration of Kais Saied in 2019, Naoufel, the president's campaign manager, did not interfere in political life.

He worked to highlight his brother and was not until then a public figure.

For months, the lawyer acted as an observer and directed Tunisian authorities and officials in social media posts.

Saied's brother's instructions came with regard to very complex points related to the constitution, which the president mentioned in one of his speeches.

 

Ready Defender

It is clear that Naoufel Saied’s committed to his brother's cause and defense at all times, but the timing of his last comment seems to have been unsuccessful, as it sparked a lot of controversy.

Brother, personal spokesperson and first admirer of Kais Saied, he experienced a moment of joy during the announcement of 25 July 2021, not only as a historical moment but also as a revenge.

The president's silence and his expressions in Arabic proved a kind of misunderstanding among the public opinion, which expected the head of state to implement his promises more quickly.

Naoufel Saied wrote about this: “Say what you want about him, say that he was slow, but he showed tolerance and patience, so he rose up with his people against a regime that abused them, and left them barefoot and hungry.”

Addressing the Tunisians, he added, "I trust my boss. People have understood that their time has come, and that they will either live in dignity or they will not."

With the same ferocity, he asserted at the end of the first 100 days of Kais Saied’s presidency that "attempts to underestimate the president of the republic will only increase his popularity."

He continued, "At the moment, events prove that he is right, but the Tunisians are waiting for the roadmap that will draw the future of the country."

At the beginning of August 2021, he stressed on Twitter that "there is no room for a return to the tyranny system and to abolish the revolution."

Professor of constitutional law and brother of the President of the Republic said that for those who do not understand, there is no going back.

Naoufel added: "The lost historical awareness produces unpopular and neglected policies. It is the people's movements that make history."

 

From the Era of Tyranny

In several photos dating back to the summer of 2019, Kais Saied, the Tunisian presidential candidate at the time, appeared with his brother and campaign manager Naoufel Saied.

Here, it is normal. But the similarity between the two men was remarkable and surprising, and the reason, of course, is well known: they are brothers.

Before he was known to the public, Naoufel Saied appeared discreetly for the first time with his brother, which many at the time viewed as support for a candidate who did not have huge potential.

But others looked at the matter with great concern over the repetition of a scene they lived before the 2011 revolution, with the family of the former president turning into rulers as well, the family of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The public appearance of Naoufel Saied began by criticizing the Islamists and directing remarks to the Tunisian League for Culture and Pluralism.

On July 28, 2021, Naoufel Saied criticized the Islamists, claiming that they were appealing to foreign powers for their support.

He said, "The call for foreign powers to interfere in national affairs is evidence of absolute desperation."

The president's brother's post was directed to Radwan Masmoudi of the Ennahdha movement, who called for external support and an end to the coup, after Saied's decision to freeze parliament.

 

Most Informed

His intervention made local press reports describe him as having an opinion on everything and expressing it more than the president himself does.

What sparked most controversy was his insistence on identifying the flaws of the constitution, a topic that interests the two brothers.

Commenting on the decisions of the House of People's Representatives has become one of his favorite activities.

In February 2020, he rose to denounce the abnormal situation in the country and the political impasse, following the parliament's rejection of the government of Habib Jemli.

Since April 2020, he has addressed the issue of "parliamentary tourism" or the transition from one political camp to another.

In early August 2021, the New York Times newspaper published details of its meeting with Kais Saied.

 

It reported that he gave its journalists "a lecture on the Constitution of America and pledged to preserve the freedom of the press, but he did not allow them to ask any questions."

Subsequently, Naoufel wrote on Twitter that "the president's meeting with American journalists was to express his support for them, after they were arrested for a short period in Tunisia."

He asserted that "the meeting was not for a press interview," according to the text of the post.