Reports emerged June 27 that Beji Caid Essebsi, Tunisia's 92-year-old president -- and former prime minister, foreign minister and president of the chamber of deputies -- had been taken to a Tunis hospital in poor health. Adding to the confusion, unconfirmed reports (subsequently denied by the president's office and his family) surfaced that Caid Essebsi had died of natural causes. But even though the presidential communications adviser has confirmed that Caid Essebsi is still alive, his absence -- whether temporary or final -- from the presidency could affect Tunisia's stability and overall direction.
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