Tunisian president sacks PM, freezes parliament

TUNIS (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied announced on Sunday evening that he has removed Hichem Mechichi from the post of prime minister and suspended all activities of the Assembly of People's Representatives, the parliament.    
 The announcement was made in a video broadcast on the official page of the Tunisian Presidency on the Facebook, after an emergency meeting that Saied held with senior security officials.    
 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.    
 Violent protests broke out on 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. Enditem