Here's why Tunisia MP Abir Moussi wears helmet and bulletproof vest in parliament session

Abir Moussi, a Tunisian MP attended a parliament session wearing a motorcycle crash helmet and a bulletproof vest. The images of the head of the Free Destourian Party, Moussi grabbed attention after it was circulated on social media as some found it amusing. The incident happened after the speaker of the parliament reportedly banned private security guards for legislators from all parties as some of the guards have allegedly been accused of assault. Reports have said that Moussi denounced the instructions given by prime minister Hichem Mechichi and house speaker Rachel Ghannouchi. Moussi was an official in Ben Ali's ruling party and on May 4 she was spotted sitting in parliament with a picture of Ben Ali's predecessor, Habib Bourguiba, in front of her. 

Who is Abir Moussi?

Moussi is a lawyer by profession and has become one of the country's most popular — and most controversial — politicians since winning a parliamentary seat in 2019. Moussi's Free Destourian Party, known by its French acronym PDL, took 17 seats in 2019. As per a report by The Guardian, she is quite popular among the voters and her personal rankings are second only to president Kais Saied. 

Former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled on January 14, 2011, in a revolution that unleashed uprisings across the region known as the Arab Spring. Moussi often denies the legitimacy of the Tunisian revolution and says that the Islamist movement Ennahda, the largest party in parliament, is a terrorist group that should be banned. She advocates returning to a strong presidency and security apparatus. 

As per a recent report by The Associated Press, since 2011, Tunisia has been plagued by sinking wages, growing joblessness and worsening public services. The country also faces the issue of unemployment which has risen amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from 15% to 18%. Attempts to migrate to Europe by sea have also soared. 

IMAGE: Twitter/@KaisDjelassi