TUNIS: Tunisian President Kais Saied, who has ruled with near-total power since 2021, said on Thursday that premeditated acts were behind prolonged water and electricity cuts as the country swelters in summer heat.
Temperatures have neared 50 degrees Celsius in recent weeks, driving up demand for electricity and water — both of which proved scarce throughout the summer.
For Saied the outages, which can last more than 10 hours in some areas including in the capital, were “not simply temporary or isolated cases” and “did not result from ordinary breakdowns.”
Instead, the president said they stemmed from “premeditated acts aimed at inflaming the situation by all means and spreading lies and rumors to sow confusion.”
Saied did not say who may be behind such acts, which he said were “mistreating citizens even through the most basic services.”
