Tunisian President Qais Syed issued a decree calling on voters to vote in a referendum on a new constitution on July 25, ignoring calls from the opposition to reverse the controversial move, Tunisian President Qais Syed issued a decree in the official Tunisian newspaper.

Last week, Said appointed law professor Sadiq Belaid to head an advisory committee made up of deans of legal and political sciences to draft a new constitution for the “new republic” and exclude political parties from restructuring the political system.

The mainstream parties said they would boycott unilateral political changes and vowed to intensify protests against them.

The powerful Tunisian General Union also refused to participate in the limited and formal dialogue proposed by the president when rewriting the constitution.

The union also said it was organizing a nationwide strike at state-owned companies and public offices to protest the poor economic situation and the wage freeze.

According to the Official Gazette, the only question in the referendum will be: do you agree with the new constitution?

The newspaper reported that voting would begin at 6 am and end at 10 pm on July 25.

After taking power last summer and dissolving parliament to rule by decree, Said says he will replace the 2014 democratic constitution with a new constitution through a referendum and hold new parliamentary elections in December.