When was the tunisian government overthrown

He also suspended the immunity of members of parliament, insisting his actions were in line with the constitution.

In his speech, Saied said he would assume executive authority with the assistance of a new prime minister. The announcement was condemned as an attack on democracy by his rivals but was greeted by others with celebrations on the streets across the country. They will not act as caretaker ministers, as Saied ordered lower-ranking administrative and finance officials at each ministry to carry out any needed tasks until a new prime minister and cabinet are appointed.

Saied assigned Khaled Yahyaoui, director-general of the presidential security unit, to supervise the ministry of the interior, two security sources said on Monday. Offices of the Ennahdha party were also attacked. Throwing stones and shouting slogans, the protesters demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and the dissolution of Parliament. Rival groups faced off outside the parliament building on Monday, pelting each other with stones and hurling insults, but the size of the protests was limited to hundreds, and there were no major reported incidents of violence.

The military surrounded the parliament and government palace, stopping members of parliament and state workers from entering the buildings, as well as the national television station. Al-Jazeera said police raided its Tunis bureau and expelled staff. President Saied also reinforced a long existing rule that bans public gatherings of three or more people in streets or squares.

Saied's intervention followed protests in major cities on Sunday over the government's handling of the pandemic, with a spike in cases, and economy. Large crowds quickly poured into the streets to support his moves, reflecting anger at the moderate Islamist Ennahda - the biggest party in parliament - and the government over political paralysis, economic stagnation and the pandemic response.

On Monday, Tunisia's hard-currency bonds tumbled. Supporters of Tunisia's biggest political party, the moderate Islamist Ennahda, take cover from stones thrown at them by supporters of President Kais Saied, outside the parliament building in Tunis, Tunisia July 26, Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda, which has played a role in successive coalition governments, condemned it as an assault on democracy and urged Tunisians to take to the streets in opposition.

Mechichi, who is at his home and not under arrest, a source close to him said, said in a statement he would not be a "disruptive element" and was ready to hand over power to whomever Saied appointed. Saied, who has not said when he will appoint a new premier or relinquish emergency powers, has also ordered that state administrations and foreign institutions stop work for two days.

The health minister was sacked last week after a bungled vaccination drive. On Sunday thousands of people across Tunisia demonstrated against the PM and Ennahda, the moderate Islamist ruling party. Its local headquarters in the south-western city of Touzeur were set on fire.

One protester in Tunis, Lamia Meftahi, told Reuters news agency this was "the happiest moment since the revolution". Another in the town of Gafsa told AFP news agency the president had "shown himself to be a true statesman", but a second resident there said: "These fools are celebrating the birth of a new dictator. In the early hours of Monday, the speaker of parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, who leads Ennahda, tried to get into the legislature in Tunis.

He was blocked by those who supported Mr Saied's move, and responded with a sit-down protest with his own loyalists. Later on Monday, Al Jazeera TV, which has been viewed as sympathetic to Ennahda, said security forces had raided its offices in Tunis, unplugging all equipment and telling staff to leave. On Sunday, in a televised address, Mr Saied said: "We have taken these decisions President Saied also vowed to respond to further violence with military force.

To many, it feels like fresh hope after a year of chaotic governance - to others a move that is constitutionally questionable, with potentially destabilising ramifications and far-reaching consequences. The events are largely linked to an acute power struggle between the presidency, the PM and the speaker of parliament. Was this a power grab by the president or a temporary move to get the country back on track?

And will his political opponents mobilise their own support on the streets? If so, to what end? Key to how all this plays out will be how quickly a new prime minister is appointed - and a new plan communicated on moving forward.

In Tunisia, both the president and parliament are elected by popular vote. Under the constitution, the president oversees only the military and foreign affairs, but Mr Saied has long been in conflict with Mr Mechichi. Mr Saied has said he will now govern alongside a new PM, with parliament suspended for 30 days.

The president cited Article 80 of the constitution for his actions, saying it allowed him to suspend parliament if it was in "imminent danger". But the opposition disputes this, and Tunisia's legal and political framework is unclear.