Tunisian women chant slogans and wave their national flags during a demonstration to mark Tunisia's Women's Day and to demand equal inheritance rights between men and women on August 13, 2018, in the capital Tunis. - Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi announced plans to submit a draft bill to parliament equalising inheritance rights between men and women. The proposal to equalise inheritance is among the most hotly debated of a raft of proposed social reforms, guided by a commission the president set up a year ago. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP) (Photo credit should read FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images)

The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women condemned foreign interference in Tunisian internal affairs, whatever its justifications, considering that the political situation in Tunisia, with all its quarrels and conflicts, remains an internal matter in which the components of civil and political society and other citizens participate.

The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women expressed its rejection of such ‘unashamed’ interventions against the background of what was circulated in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Congress, regarding the internal situation in Tunisia during the past week, and the European Parliament’s intention to prepare for a similar upcoming session, in a statement.

The association also expressed its rejection of some political opponents from Tunisia inviting foreign parties to intervene in national affairs under the pretext of defending democracy, denouncing the reliance on parties known historically for their blatant interference in peoples’ affairs and imposing policies and positions that contradict the principles of freedom, equality and national independence, according to its assessment.

The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women warned of practices that would distort the national opposition and provide justifications for restricting freedom of expression and banning any criticism at its discretion, and it pointed out that blocking the outlets for this external interference is mainly through adhering to national sovereignty and involving the components of civil and political society in formulating policies and positions in the country.

In this regard, the association called on the government to expedite the opening of the files of corruption and political assassinations, and to achieve the people’s demands for work, health, and a decent standard of living. It also called on the President of the Republic, Kais Saied, to set a time limit for the exceptional situation so that it does not turn into a permanent one, and to disclose government programs that must include practical and achievable solutions to address the people’s accumulated problems.