Tunisia's Islamist 'chameleon' contests what he calls a coup

FILE PHOTO: Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, head of the moderate Islamist Ennahda, speaks during an interview with Reuters in his office, in Tunis, Tunisia, March 9, 2021. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui/File Photo

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia's Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi has quickly emerged as the main opponent of President Kais Saied's efforts to reshape the country's politics, branding his dismissal of the government a coup.

On Monday morning, hours after Saied -- a political independent -- shut down parliament and deployed soldiers around it Ghannouchi waited outside, demanding to be let in.