Tunisia’s President Saied Closes in on Second Term as Polls Close

Polls closed in Tunisia’s latest presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent President Kais Saied widely expected to win a second term, despite growing criticism of his administration. Since his election, Saied has sought to dismantle institutional and legal checks on presidential power. In 2021, he dissolved Tunisia’s elected parliament and rewrote the constitution, seizing most of the country’s powers for himself. Over the past year, Saied’s administration has systematically eliminated potential opposition. For one, many opposition leaders have been imprisoned on various charges, including one of Saied’s key rivals, Ayachi Zammel. Last month, the country’s electoral commission, whose members were handpicked by Saied, disqualified three potential presidential candidates. Last week, lawmakers loyal to Saied stripped the nation’s administrative court of its power over the electoral commission after the court directed the reinstatement of the disqualified candidates, further undermining the democratic process. Despite these events, Saied retains support from some working-class Tunisians.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN