The president, criticized for his authoritarian drift, faces only two candidates, including one recently imprisoned
Oct. 5 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The population of Tunisia is called to the polls this Sunday for a presidential election that will be the third since the fall of the regime of Zine el Abidine ben Ali during the ‘Arab Spring’ and which comes amid complaints about the authoritarian drift of the current president, Kais Saied, who is seeking re-election against two other rivals, one of whom has recently been imprisoned.
Saied, who in the 2019 elections won the second round with 72.7 percent of the votes – compared to 27.3 percent collected by tycoon Nabil Karui, who remained imprisoned for most of the electoral campaign – , has led a campaign of increasing repression since 2021 that has limited civic space, calling into question the representativeness of the elections.
The country, considered one of the few examples of democratic success after the outbreak of the ‘Arab Spring’, has suffered during the last five years a setback in rights and freedoms that has been attributed to the president, which has led its critics to draw parallels between him and Ben Ali, who ruled the country from 1987 to 2011.
Thus, Saied delivered an institutional coup in May 2021, when he announced the dismissal of the Government and the suspension of the Constitution in the midst of a new wave of protests against corruption, the economic crisis and political paralysis, which allowed him to govern by decree despite criticism that his actions would imply violations of the Constitution.
The measure was supported by some sectors, especially critical of the actions of the moderate Islamist party Ennahda, the majority in Parliament, given that Saied’s actions were considered to be partly justified and intended to bring the country out of stagnation, although since then There has been no significant progress on the main problems.
Saied also promoted a new Constitution after a referendum, marked by low participation, which further increased his powers, leaving him in charge of almost all decisions after the final dissolution of Parliament – replaced in 2023 by a new body led by people aligned with their policies after the legislative elections of that year– and the appointment of like-minded governments.
THE THREE CANDIDATES
On this occasion, the president runs as a great favorite because he only faces two rivals of little weight as a result of the elimination of the other fourteen candidates by the High Independent Authority for Elections (ISIE), the body that exercises the functions of the electoral commission, now also accused of being under the influence of Saied.
Saied’s rivals are Zuhair Magzhaui, leader of the People’s Movement (Echaab) – which he has headed since 2013 following the assassination of the then head of the party, Mohamed Brahmi, one of the main leaders of the Tunisian left -, and Ayachi Zamel , leader of the liberal Azimun party, imprisoned during the electoral campaign.
Magzhaui, a figure very critical of Ennahda, is one of the politicians who supported Saied’s decision to assume all powers in 2021 and is considered by the population as a ‘straw man’ who attends to give the impression that There are more alternatives to the president.
For his part, Zamel was arrested hours before the ISIE announced that it accepted his candidacy and, since then, he has been convicted in several cases for alleged falsification of documents related to the signatures of the endorsements necessary to stand for election, thus will finally attend from prison.
The opposition, united in the National Salvation Front (FSN) – made up of dozens of organizations, including Ennahda, the main focus of the repression campaign, including the arrest of its leader, Rached Ghanuchi, convicted of “praising terrorism” and “incitement to hatred”– has not on this occasion called for a boycott.
The political situation has also put the ISIE in the spotlight, both for its decision to eliminate the majority of the candidates – and many fewer of the nearly one hundred who announced their intention to run – and for ignoring a court ruling that ordered that three of those excluded be included in the ballots after a judicial appeal.
ADMINISTRATIVE OBSTACLES AND REPRESSION
The climate has been marked by the criteria imposed by the ISIE for the acceptance of candidatures – among them an increase in the minimum age and the presentation of a document on a criminal record – which caused only 17 people to submit the necessary documentation, also partly due to the numerous arrests and convictions for criticism of the authorities.
Over the past few years, security forces have detained hundreds of people, including journalists, activists, lawyers and parliamentarians on charges related to “national security”, including charges of “terrorism”, for speech critical of Saied and the government or for calling for protests, actions criticized by the United Nations and humanitarian organizations.
An example of Saied’s control over the institutions came after the controversial exclusion of candidates, when the General Assembly, now controlled by people related to the president, approved a law withdrawing powers over electoral matters from the Administrative Court following the aforementioned ruling in favor. three candidates, ending judicial oversight of the process.
In this sense, Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently accused the authorities of undermining the integrity of the presidential elections by amending the electoral law a few days before the vote and criticized the exclusion and arrest of candidates and the “arbitrary measures” against opponents, media and activists.
“The Tunisian authorities are systematically putting obstacles in the way of fair elections,” said the NGO’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, Bassam Khawaja. “Following mass arrests and actions against potential candidates, they are changing the electoral law just days before the election, cutting off all avenues for meaningful oversight and appeal,” he lamented.
THE MIGRATION LETTER
Saied has defended his record in recent years and has praised his immigration policies – which have also earned him criticism, especially after a series of racist statements in 2023 towards sub-Saharans -, especially through agreements with European countries to control irregular departures from the African country.
In July 2023, the EU and Tunisia signed an agreement on migration matters that included the delivery of millions of euros to Tunisia to toughen measures to control irregular migration, although the economic crisis in which the country remains mired, with A 16 percent unemployment rate — especially among young people — has led Tunisia to become one of the main crossing points for migrants, with more and more Tunisians attempting to complete the deadly journey.
The response of the authorities has also been to increase the heavy hand in this area, with an increase in security operations against migrants, including deportations to the desert and demolitions of improvised camps, which were carried out amid a wave of violence against foreigners.
In fact, Saied has repeated on several occasions that Tunisia “will not be a place of settlement for irregular migrants and is working to ensure that it is not a transit point either.” Since 2014, nearly 24,000 people have died or disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea through the central route, which mainly connects Tunisia and Libya with Italy.
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