Troops surrounded Tunisia’s parliament building Monday, blocking its speaker from entering. The move came after the president suspended the legislature and dismissed the prime minister following nationwide protests. Protesters were angry over the country’s economic troubles and the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. Protesters celebrated President Kais Saied’s decision on Sunday. They shouted with happiness and waved Tunisian flags. But the president’s critics accused him of seizing too much power. The North African country’s allies expressed concern that its young democracy might fail. In a move sure to increase those worries, police took over the offices of broadcaster Al Jazeera and ordered it to shut down. In 2011, Tunisia began the so-called Arab Spring when protests led to the overthrow of several, longtime Middle Eastern leaders. The country is often considered the only success story of those uprisings. But democracy did not bring economic growth. Tunisia’s unemployment rate was 18 percent before the pandemic hit. Young people protested, demanding jobs and an end to police violence earlier this year. The government recently announced cuts to food and fuel subsidies. This caused more anger in areas of the country with many poor people. The government is seeking its fourth loan from the International Monetary Fund in the last ten years. The pandemic has only worsened the economic problems. The government recently announced new stay-at-home orders and other virus restrictions. But thousands of protesters ignored virus restrictions in the capital, Tunis, and other cities Sunday. They demanded the suspension of parliament. Mostly young people, the protesters shouted “Get out!” and fought with police. The president said he had to fire the prime minister and suspend parliament because of concerns over public violence. He said he acted within the law. Parliament speaker Rached Ghannouchi, however, said the president did not discuss the situation with him or the prime minister as required. Ghannouchi heads the Islamic party that controlled the legislature. The three men have been in conflict.
Title: Tunisia’s President Suspends Parliament, Removes Prime Minister
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/B.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Tunisias President Suspends Parliament, Removes Prime Minister' data-article-id='5811'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9083'>Troops surrounded Tunisia’s parliament building Monday, blocking its speaker from entering.</span> <span data-start-time='9083' data-end-time='22000'>The move came after the president suspended the legislature and dismissed the prime minister following nationwide protests. </span> <span data-start-time='22000' data-end-time='33375'>Protesters were angry over the country’s economic troubles and the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.</span> <span data-start-time='33375' data-end-time='42229'>Protesters celebrated President Kais Saied’s decision on Sunday. </span> <span data-start-time='42229' data-end-time='47271'>They shouted with happiness and waved Tunisian flags. </span> <span data-start-time='47271' data-end-time='52938'>But the president’s critics accused him of seizing too much power.</span> <span data-start-time='52938' data-end-time='61708'>The North African country’s allies expressed concern that its young democracy might fail. </span> <span data-start-time='61708' data-end-time='73333'>In a move sure to increase those worries, police took over the offices of broadcaster Al Jazeera and ordered it to shut down.</span> <span data-start-time='73333' data-end-time='86625'>In 2011, Tunisia began the so-called Arab Spring when protests led to the overthrow of several, longtime Middle Eastern leaders. </span> <span data-start-time='86625' data-end-time='94104'>The country is often considered the only success story of those uprisings.</span> <span data-start-time='94104' data-end-time='98771'>But democracy did not bring economic growth. </span> <span data-start-time='98771' data-end-time='105792'>Tunisia’s unemployment rate was 18 percent before the pandemic hit. </span> <span data-start-time='105792' data-end-time='114271'>Young people protested, demanding jobs and an end to police violence earlier this year.</span> <span data-start-time='114271' data-end-time='121000'>The government recently announced cuts to food and fuel subsidies. </span> <span data-start-time='121000' data-end-time='127188'>This caused more anger in areas of the country with many poor people. </span> <span data-start-time='127188' data-end-time='136063'>The government is seeking its fourth loan from the International Monetary Fund in the last ten years.</span> <span data-start-time='136063' data-end-time='140938'>The pandemic has only worsened the economic problems. </span> <span data-start-time='140938' data-end-time='148271'>The government recently announced new stay-at-home orders and other virus restrictions. </span> <span data-start-time='148271' data-end-time='158438'>But thousands of protesters ignored virus restrictions in the capital, Tunis, and other cities Sunday. </span> <span data-start-time='158438' data-end-time='161792'>They demanded the suspension of parliament. </span> <span data-start-time='161792' data-end-time='168896'>Mostly young people, the protesters shouted “Get out!” and fought with police.</span> <span data-start-time='168896' data-end-time='178917'>The president said he had to fire the prime minister and suspend parliament because of concerns over public violence. </span> <span data-start-time='178917' data-end-time='182500'>He said he acted within the law. </span> <span data-start-time='182500' data-end-time='194813'>Parliament speaker Rached Ghannouchi, however, said the president did not discuss the situation with him or the prime minister as required. </span> <span data-start-time='194813' data-end-time='201292'>Ghannouchi heads the Islamic party that controlled the legislature. </span> <span data-start-time='201292' data-end-time='204438'>The three men have been in conflict.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/B.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17869 data-hint-location='114271' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/what_are_subsidies.wav'>What are subsidies?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a sum of money granted by the government or a public body to assist an industry or business so that the price of a commodity or service may remain low or competitive'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/a_position_in_which_ones_knees_are_bent_and_ones_heels_are_close_to_or_touching_ones_buttocks_or_the_back_of_ones_thighs.wav'><span>a position in which one's knees are bent and one's heels are close to or touching one's buttocks or the back of one's thighs</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/an_urban_area_that_has_a_name_defined_boundaries_and_local_government_and_that_is_generally_larger_than_a_village_and_smaller_than_a_city.wav'><span>an urban area that has a name, defined boundaries, and local government, and that is generally larger than a village and smaller than a city</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/a_sum_of_money_granted_by_the_government_or_a_public_body_to_assist_an_industry_or_business_so_that_the_price_of_a_commodity_or_service_may_remain_low_or_competitive.wav'><span>a sum of money granted by the government or a public body to assist an industry or business so that the price of a commodity or service may remain low or competitive</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/devotees_of_a_particular_person_cause_or_activity.wav'><span>devotees of a particular person, cause, or activity</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17870 data-hint-location='73333' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/which_uprisings_began_in_tunisia_in_2011.wav'>Which uprisings began in Tunisia in 2011?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Arab Spring'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/labor_movement.wav'><span>Labor Movement</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/arab_spring.wav'><span>Arab Spring</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/black_lives_matter.wav'><span>Black Lives Matter</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/save_the_whales.wav'><span>Save The Whales</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17871 data-hint-location='168896' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/the_president_said_he_had_to_fire_the_prime__blank__and_suspend_parliament_because_of_concerns_over_public_violence_.wav'>The president said he had to fire the prime <span class='blank'>minister</span> and suspend parliament because of concerns over public violence. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='minister'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/time.wav'><span>time</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/person.wav'><span>person</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/minister.wav'><span>minister</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5227/alpha.wav'><span>alpha</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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