Tunisia: only three candidates accepted for presidential election

Claims of democracy fading in Tunisia may appear to be true as the nation’s electoral commission announced on August 10th that only three candidates, including incumbent Kais Saied, are on the ballot, according to Reuters and agencies.

In the run-up to the election set for October 6th, the government has received widespread criticism from human rights groups and Tunisian society for intimidatory tactics and “arbitrary restrictions” employed by the Saied government, which is increasingly appearing authoritarian.

The other candidates accepted by the commission included Zouhair Magzhaoui, who is regarded as close to Saied, and Ayachi Zammel.

Zammel, who leads the Azimoun party, is not recognised as an influential politician.

Overall, 14 candidates saw their application rejected, with the opposition to Saied’s government stating the move aims to exclude serious contenders.

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Prominent politicians such as Mondher Znaidi, Imed Daimi, Abdel Latif Mekki, Karim Gharbi, Safi Said, Kamel Akrout, and Nizar Chaari stated that they were unable to obtain the criminal record details required by the electoral commission to run as the interior ministry refused to grant them.

They accused authorities of seeking to return Tunisia to the time of dictatorship and fake sham elections that were commonplace before the Arab Spring of 2011.

However, Farouk Bou Asker, who heads the commission, told reporters that the candidates were rejected due to a lack of citizens’ endorsements and not as a result of lacking a criminal record card.

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Recently, four presidential hopefuls were sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from running for office by a Tunisian court on a charge of vote buying.

Safi Said, a potential candidate, withdrew from the race on August 9th, refusing to participate in an election he called a “one-man show”.”

Kais Saied dissolved parliament and seized control of all powers in 2021, a move the opposition labelled a coup. Last year, the 66-year-old politician stated he “would not hand over the country to non-patriots.”

Reuters and agencies