Canada’s Trudeau lobbying for postponement of Francophonie summit in Tunisia over democratic deficit

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not willing to attend the Francophonie summit slated for November in Tunisia and has been lobbying for the event to be postponed citing lack of democracy in the North African country.

Canadian media, La Press, revealed that Trudeau has been campaigning for weeks now to have the Nov. 19-20 conference rescheduled.

The Canadian media also indicated that he had already spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron for the need to postpone the gathering in view of the ongoing political situation in Tunisia.

The two leaders, the media added, addressed the issue privately during the G7 summit in Germany last June. Macron is expected to visit Canada early next month and both leaders are likely to touch on the fate of the Francophonie conference.

Tunisia has since July 25, 2021 slid into an unprecedented political crisis after incumbent President Kais Saied seized all major powers and dissolved the Parliament. The move was condemned by most political parties and civil society groups. Foreign partners including the U.S and Canada criticized Saied’s action.

The Summit was scheduled to take place in November last year but the organization postponed it to November this year due to external pressures. Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki also lobbied for the postponement.

President Saied ramped up his grip on power last month following a referendum that adopted his proposed new Constitution rejected by majority of Tunisians as the turnout was put 30 per cent.