Tunisia president accused of staging coup after suspending parliament

Kais Saied invokes emergency article of constitution after violent protests against country's biggest party

Often touted as the lone success story of the Arab spring revolutions a decade ago, Tunisia is facing a critical challenge to its fledgling democracy after its president suspended parliament and dismissed his prime minister in what critics described as a coup.

Kais Saied, an independent without a party behind him, announced he was invoking an emergency article of Tunisia's constitution late on Sunday night after a day of violent protests against the country's biggest party, the moderate Islamist Ennahda movement.