TUNISIAN security and military units were deployed to protect the government headquarters in Tunis by blocking all access and preventing officials from reaching their workplace in the government.

The measure came as Tunisian President Kais Saied announced Sunday evening that he had removed Hichem Mechichi from the post of prime minister and suspended all activities of the Assembly of People’s Representatives, the parliament.

Saied said he will temporarily head the government until he appoints a new prime minister. The president also announced that he annulled the immunity of all parliament members.

At dawn Monday, units of the Tunisian National Army prevented Tunisia’s parliament speaker Rached Ghannouchi, accompanied by other deputies, from entering the parliament headquarters in the district of Bardo.

Amid tight security measures, dozens of Tunisians gathered in front of the parliament.

Saied extended the hours of night curfew across the country from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. between Monday and Aug. 27, the presidency said in a statement Monday.

This decree prohibits the movement of people and vehicles between cities during the curfew, except for essential emergencies or for urgent health reasons.

Meanwhile, Saied issued another decree on the suspension of work in central administrations, external services, local communities and public administrative institutions for two days, starting from yesterday.

Violent protests broke out Sunday in several Tunisian provinces as protesters expressed anger at the deterioration of the North African nation’s health, economic and social situations, calling for the departure of the government and the dissolution of the parliament chaired by Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the Ennahdha party.

(Xinhua)