A senior White House official announced Saturday that Tunisia must quickly return to its "democratic path," days after Tunisian President Kais Saied announced his assumption of executive power and suspended parliament.

During an hour-long call with the Tunisian president, Jake Sullivan, National Security Adviser to US President Joe Biden, expressed his support for "Tunisian democracy based on basic rights, strong institutions and a commitment to the rule of law," according to a statement issued by the White House.

The statement pointed out that the call "focused on the urgent need for Tunisian leaders to draw broad lines for a speedy return to Tunisia's democratic path."

The White House statement added, "This requires the rapid formation of a new government headed by a qualified prime minister, in order to stabilize the Tunisian economy and deal with the Covid-19 pandemic."

Saeed had announced exceptional measures that required a 30-day freeze on Parliament, relieve Prime Minister Hisham al-Mashishi of his duties, and assume the executive authority himself. The Islamist Ennahda party denounced the presidential decisions, describing them as a "coup against the revolution and the constitution."

The Tunisian president also launched a battle against corruption, calling on dozens of businessmen to return "stolen money" under Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's rule.

Saeed’s positions came hours after the judiciary announced that it had been investigating since the middle of last month, accusations that three parties had received foreign funding before the 2019 legislative elections.

The three parties are Ennahda, which has the largest bloc in Parliament, Qalb Tounes and the Live Tounes movement.