– Tunisian President Kais Saied said he would call a constitutional referendum next July and that parliamentary elections would follow at the end of 2022. One minute around the Atlantis - The Palm - Dubai Copy video url Play / Pause Mute / Unmute Report a problem Language Mox Player Laying out the timeline for his proposed political changes in a televised speech on Monday evening, Saied said the referendum would take place on July 25, following an online public consultation that will start in January. Saied"s announcement of a road map out of the crisis has been awaited since he suspended parliament, dismissed the prime minister and assumed executive authority. Those moves appeared very popular after years of economic stagnation and political paralysis. Saied in September brushed aside most of the 2014 constitution to say he could rule by decree during a period of exceptional measures, and promised a dialogue on further changes. He said in Monday"s speech that parliament would remain suspended until Tunisians vote for a replacement assembly on Dec. 17, 2022, the date he has declared to be the official anniversary of the revolution. The anniversary had previously been marked on Jan. 14, the date when ruler Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country, after agreement among political factions and civil society groups that took part in the uprising. "We want to correct the paths of the revolution and history," Saied said in his speech, after lambasting critics of his intervention. Saied said he would appoint a committee of experts to draft a new constitution, to be ready by June ahead of the referendum. A clear pathway to ordinary constitutional order may be important for Tunisia to secure international financial assistance as it struggles to finance its fiscal deficit and next year"s budget as well as debt repayments. – Agencies