The constitutional referendum is scheduled to be held on July 25, 2022, exactly a year after president Kais Saied took control of all executive and legislative powers in Tunisia through a series of exceptional measures. Critics and opposition political parties have called his actions a “presidential coup”

20 Tunisian and international human rights groups also denounced the president’s actions in a joint statement, calling them unilateral, authoritarian and in violation of the Tunisian constitution

The political situation in Tunisia was further complicated following last week’s resignation of Elyes Fakhfakh from the post of prime minister and a vote of no-confidence against the speaker of parliament