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Unveiled: The Debated 'Kaise Leaked' Affair and Its Profound Repercussions on Tunisia

A succession of controversial audio recordings, collectively known as the "Kaise Leaked" files, have shaken the Tunisian political landscape, purportedly uncovering high-level plans within President Kaïs Saïed's inner circle to solidify power. These revelations, which emerged across social media and news outlets, have intensified an already heated national debate about the country's democratic trajectory. The subsequent controversy has revolved on the explosive content of the recordings and the intensely contested matter of their genuineness.

The "Kaise Leaked" event did not occur in a vacuum but burst forth during a period of profound political tension in Tunisia. Subsequent to the 2011 revolution, the nation had been praised as the sole democratic success story of the Arab Spring. However, a decade later, the country was struggling with political paralysis, economic stagnation, and widespread public discontent. It was against this backdrop that the leaks appeared, supplying what critics allege is a damning look into the plots that came before President Saïed's dramatic assumption of exceptional powers on July 25, 2021, a move his adversaries have termed a "constitutional coup."

The Origin of the Recordings

The first "Kaise Leaked" audio files began to circulate online in late 2021, initially on platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Their spread was swift and chaotic, causing immediate puzzlement and speculation. The recordings were of inferior quality, often muffled and fragmented, making them difficult to decipher. Yet, the voices purportedly captured were of paramount importance: one was asserted to be President Kaïs Saïed himself, while another was identified as his then-chief of staff and closest advisor, Nadia Akacha. The method in which these recordings were acquired and released remains cloaked in mystery, with no group or individual plausibly claiming responsibility for their release.

This namelessness only added to the speculation and mistrust. Supporters of the president instantly protested, implying a sophisticated smear campaign orchestrated by his political enemies, particularly the Islamist-inspired Ennahda party, which had dominated parliament for a decade. They pointed to the possibility of deepfake technology or voice manipulation, maintaining that the leaks were a desperate attempt to delegitimize a popular leader. On the other hand, the opposition and various civil society groups viewed the leaks as a smoking gun, irrefutable proof of a premeditated plot to tear down Tunisia's democratic institutions.

Decoding the Explosive Content

The core of the "Kaise Leaked" recordings portrayed a disturbing picture of the political roadmap being considered within the presidential palace. The conversations appeared to sketch out a step-by-step plan to seize total control of the state. The primary allegations that arose from the various audio clips included:

• A scheme to invoke Article 80 of the constitution under a broad interpretation of "imminent peril" to warrant the suspension of parliament and the dismissal of the government.
• Discussions about placing influential politicians, judges, and businessmen under house arrest without due process to incapacitate potential opposition.
• A tactic to seize control over the judiciary and security apparatus, ensuring their loyalty to the presidency.
• Designs to amend the constitution and the electoral law to create a new political system centered entirely around a powerful president, effectively concluding the parliamentary system established after the revolution.
• Derogatory and dismissive remarks about various political figures, including allies, unveiling a deep-seated paranoia and mistrust within the president's inner circle.

One of the most detrimental leaks, allegedly featuring Nadia Akacha, recounted how the president was being influenced by a small, unelected circle of advisors and how foreign powers, including Egypt and the UAE, were reportedly supportive of his power-consolidation project. These claims added an international dimension to the crisis, prompting questions about external interference in Tunisia's sovereign affairs. The voice attributed to Akacha expressed frustration with the president's indecisiveness at times but also a steadfast commitment to the overall plan. The authenticity of this specific recording, like all the others, was vehemently denied.

The Central Figures: Saïed and Akacha

At the core of the "Kaise Leaked" scandal are two key figures. President Kaïs Saïed, a former constitutional law professor, ascended to power in 2019 as a political outsider, promising to fight corruption and overhaul a system many Tunisians viewed as broken. His supporters view him as an incorruptible man of the people, and for them, the leaks were nothing more than vicious fabrications. In a public statement, the presidency absolutely rejected the leaks, stating, "These practices of defamation and lies are part of a desperate campaign to poison the political climate." His opponents, however, argue that his actions since July 2021 have exactly mirrored the plans outlined in the leaks, lending them significant credibility.

Nadia Akacha, the former director of the presidential cabinet, is an equally mysterious figure in this saga. Once considered Saïed's most trusted and powerful advisor, she was often referred to as the "Iron Lady" of the Carthage Palace. Her alleged voice is central to some of the most damning recordings. In a shocking turn of events, Akacha resigned from her post in January 2022, citing "fundamental differences in opinion." While she never publicly confirmed the authenticity of the leaks, her unexpected departure and subsequent cryptic social media posts were read by many as a tacit admission of the internal power struggles and plans the leaks had exposed. Her silence on the matter has only deepened the mystery.

The Unending Debate Over Authenticity

The essential question that continues to bedevil the "Kaise Leaked" affair is their authenticity. To date, no independent, forensic analysis of the audio files has been publicly conducted or released. This information vacuum has permitted both sides of the political aisle to establish their positions.

Arguments against their authenticity depend on several points:

Conversely, arguments for their authenticity are just as convincing:

Consequences for a Nation in Crisis

Regardless of their ultimate veracity, the "Kaise Leaked" recordings have had a profound and lasting impact on Tunisia. They have radically deepened the political polarization that has crippled the country. For the opposition, the leaks are the ultimate validation of their resistance to Saïed's political project. For the president's base, they are proof of the wicked conspiracies being hatched against their leader and the nation. This has eradicated almost any possibility of a middle ground or national dialogue, throwing the country further into a zero-sum political conflict.

Furthermore, the affair has eroded what little public trust remained in the political class and state institutions. The skepticism among ordinary Tunisians has grown, with many feeling caught between an aspiring autocrat and a discredited and corrupt political elite. The "Kaise Leaked" saga has become a powerful symbol of the opacity and intrigue that now define Tunisian governance, a stark deviation from the hopes for transparency and accountability that powered the 2011 revolution. The heritage of these recordings is not just in their contested content, but in the enduring climate of suspicion and division they have helped to cement in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.