WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, on Tuesday released the following statement on Tunisia President Kais Saied’s extension of the country’s state of emergency.

“The United States and our democratic allies have been encouraging Tunisia to get back on a democratic path for weeks in order to preserve the country’s historic democratic transition. I am deeply disappointed that today, rather than appoint a new prime minister and restore parliamentary democracy, Tunisian President Kais Saied announced his intent to extend the 30-day state of emergency indefinitely. Tunisia faces a lot of challenges – tackling corruption, dealing with COVID-19, and growing the economy – which can only be met when the Tunisian people are fully engaged in the process. I urge President Saied to end this state of political limbo as soon as possible, and get the country back on the democratic path it needs to succeed,” said Murphy.

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