Doubts grow over Tunisian elections, union boss wants delay

One of Tunisia’s largest unions has appealed the president to consider postponing elections scheduled for December 17^th, throwing its weight behind other groups calling for the same, leaving now even greater questions over whether the elections will even go ahead.

According to agency reports, on Thursday, the Secretary-General of UGTT Noureddine Taboubi called on President Kais Saied, to “reconsider” and conduct some revisions in order to avoid any pitfalls that might hinder the next phase and ensure the conditions for a real democratic process which produces real legitimacy and a legislative institution that echoes the will of the Tunisian people.

Taboubi urged the president to be take his time after inconsistences and irregularities were emerging in many constituencies with some not even having a candidate.

In a speech to a rally of workers from the state-owned Régie Nationale des Tabac et des Allumettes in the capital, Tunis, the secretary-general of UGTT argued the need to re-examine the electoral law. He called for an objective and careful reading to make the necessary amendments in order to achieve democratic goals and ensure the plurality of candidacies.

He said he supported the idea of postponing the elections, saying, “Only the Quranic text does not change … any human action can be re-evaluated.”

Observers believe that president Saied himself does not seem willing to proceed with holding the voting on the scheduled date, in light of his awareness about the existence major flaws in the electoral law.

“The Tunisian General Labour Union will not allow itself to be drawn into political conflicts”, Taboubi stressed, adding, “We are not, as some claim, a political party. We will not participate in the legislative or presidential elections.”

On September 16, Prime Minister Najla Bouden and Taboubi signed an agreement to increase salaries in public institutions by five percent on average over the next three years.

Agencies –