29 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Only 4.71 percent of registered voters have cast their ballot until 11:00 this morning in the second round of the legislative elections that are being held this Sunday in Tunisia, characterized by the general apathy of the electorate and criticism from various media outlets. communication against the impediments presented by the authorities when covering the elections.
The head of the Independent Higher Authority for Elections, Faruq Buaskar, has described the percentage of provisional participation as a “respectable” figure, noting that the voting process is advancing smoothly and without registering significant irregularities, according to comments collected by the station. Mosaic FM.
Some 262 candidates, including just 34 women, are running for 131 seats in an election that saw only 11.2 percent of registered voters turnout in the first round last month and amid calls for comprehensive political reform of the current system imposed by the president, Kais Saied.
Saied has promoted since July 2021 a series of measures to reform the political system of Tunisia, including a constitutional referendum, approved in the midst of the opposition boycott, which reinforces the powers of the Presidency. The opposition has denounced an authoritarian drift of the president and has demanded his resignation.
In this context, Mosaique FM has denounced that several photojournalists and journalists from multiple media outlets have seen their coverage of the elections hindered by being denied access to some polling stations.
Sabra regional radio correspondent Samia Nasri regretted that security forces prevented her from taking pictures of several polling stations in the Ain Jalloula, Waslatia and Sbeija constituencies. The journalist Siham Hamdi, from Radio Al Hayat, has also denounced impediments in these same places.
The deputy head of the Independent Higher Authority for Elections, Maher al Jedidi, has stressed in statements to the media itself that he will investigate these accusations.
