![]() The general secretary of the powerful trade union UGTT, Noureddine Taboubi, blames the state’s overburdened budget. ![]() In a statement, the Salvation Front, a coalition of five opposition parties and several independent groups, called the demonstrations a sign of “a general explosion and the collapse of the social and political order.” He suggested that his main political rivals, the Islamist movement Ennahdha, had some role, which the party firmly denies. Saied attributes the scarcity of food products and the rise in prices to ”speculators” and those who hold a monopoly on goods they store in illegal depots. He said the moves were necessary to save the country amid protracted political and economic crisis, and many Tunisians welcomed them, but critics and Western allies say the power grab jeopardizes Tunisia’s young democracy. “Enough of speeches and promises, people are gripped by hunger and poverty,” read a banner erected by the demonstrators, their anger at the government and political elites palpable.Īfter sacking the prime minister and dissolving parliament, President Kaïs Saied has granted himself sweeping powers over the past year. With cries of “work, freedom, dignity” - the flagship slogan of the 2010-2011 revolution - demonstrators blocked the town’s main artery by setting fire to tires, braving the police who sprayed tear gas to disperse them. But the night before the holiday, citizens formed long lines in front of supermarkets in the hope of getting a package of sugar, an essential food to prepare traditional dishes for the religious holiday. ![]() The Ministry of Commerce promised last month that shortages would ease, announcing the import of 20,000 tons of sugar from India to be available in time for Mouled, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. His act of desperation revived memories of the 2010 self-immolation of another Tunisian vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, which prompted protests that led to the ouster of long-time dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and provoked similar uprisings around the Arab world. ![]() In a suburb of the capital, Tunis, a young itinerant fruit vendor recently killed himself after police seized the scales he used to weigh his wares. West says no biological weapons in Ukraine, Russia disagreesįights sometimes break out at food market queues, and scattered protests and sporadic clashes with police over rising prices and shortages have occurred around the country. “We can live without furniture, construction material, but we have to eat.” She only gave her first name for fear of persecution by police for speaking out. “It is not possible to live without food,” said Aicha during a recent shopping trip to the fish and meat market in Tunis. “I came to shop and found people fighting to buy and the prices were very high,” said shopper Amina Hamdi, 63, despairing at trying to buy basic goods. When they do appear on the shelves, many people cannot afford to pay the staggering price for them. People stand in line for hours for these food essentials that have long been subsidized and are now increasingly available in rations only. Sugar, vegetable oil, rice and even bottled water periodically disappear from supermarkets and grocery stores. TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) - Tunisians have been hit with soaring food prices and shortages of basic staples in recent weeks, threatening to turn simmering discontent in the North African country - the cradle of the Arab Spring protests - into larger turmoil.
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