Tunisia’s President, Kais Saied, has secured a second term in office with a decisive victory, claiming over 90% of the vote, according to the country’s electoral commission. The election, held on Sunday, faced significant criticism from rights groups who raised concerns over its fairness.
Of the more than a dozen candidates initially vying for the presidency, only two were permitted to challenge Saied. Despite this, voter turnout was notably low, with just 29% of the over nine million registered voters casting their ballots.
Saied’s closest competitor, businessman Ayachi Zammel, garnered 7% of the vote. Zammel’s campaign was clouded by controversy, as he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for document falsification just five days before the election. Former lawmaker Zouhair Maghzaou, the third candidate on the ballot, managed to secure nearly 2% of the vote.
The election was marked by the absence of campaign rallies or public debates, and the majority of posters on display across the country showed support for Saied. Five political parties had called for an election boycott, expressing concerns that the process would not be free or fair.
Tunisia, once hailed as a beacon of democracy in the Arab world following the 2011 ousting of long-time autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, has seen a backslide in democratic principles since Saied first came to power in 2019. Since his election, the former law professor has dissolved parliament, rewritten the constitution, and concentrated power in the presidency. His administration has also been criticized for arresting and imprisoning political dissidents and potential rivals, making his re-election widely expected.
Tunisia’s electoral commission reported that Saied received over 2.4 million votes in the preliminary results, with the final results expected to be announced early next month.
Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned the erosion of fundamental rights under Saied’s rule. Amnesty described a “worrying decline” in freedoms, citing his authoritarian approach. However, Saied has dismissed these criticisms, asserting that he is battling corruption and those he deems “traitors.”
This election marks Tunisia’s third presidential vote since the 2011 revolution that ended Ben Ali’s 23-year reign.
– BBC
