KEY POINTS
- Tunisians are protesting President Saied’s growing authoritarianism.
- A proposed bill may weaken election oversight, worrying the opposition.
- The electoral commission has disqualified several key presidential candidates.
Again, hundreds of Tunisians came out on the streets to protest against President Kais Saied as the country prepared for the much-dreaded election on the 6th of October.
During the week, protesters took to the streets in Tunis, accusing Saied of consolidating his authoritarian rule and seeking to cling to power by restricting political contestation.
Marching on the same street of Bourguiba Avenue where protesters started the Arab Spring protests in 2011, protesters held colourful banners that read “The people want the fall of the regime” or “Out with dictator Saied.”
They believe that Saied’s actions resemble the regime that Tunisia once fought against.
Mounting concerns over electoral fairness
The protests occur at a time when the political crisis is intense. A new bill has been formulated to deny the administrative court of Tunisia its power to hear election cases.
Such a shift undermines democracy, and what critics say could permit Saied to exercise control over the upcoming vote without legal hindrance.
The court has a significant responsibility of supervising the fairness of the elections and stripping it of its power, which arouses suspicion over the fairness of the October 6 election.
According to a report by Reuters, Nabil Hajji from the Attayar party, who is the opposition leader, also complained about the situation. He accused Saied of undermining democracy and, as a result, not losing his position.
“In my opinion, there is nothing more [Saied] can do to gain votes; the steps he has taken demonstrate that he is no longer popular and that he is afraid that he will lose this election,” Hajji explained.
He further said that the current forces encourage Tunisians to take to the streets as the only way to protect democracy.
Candidates disqualified amid rising tensions
The political tension further deteriorated after the electoral commission chosen by Saied rejected three prominent presidential contenders. Others barred from running are Mondher Znaidi, Abdellatif Mekki, and Imed Daimi.
Between the two candidates allowed to contest against Saied, one, Ayachi Zammel, was recently convicted to 20 months imprisonment for forging his documents’ signatures.
He said the charges are politically motivated since they raise suspicions that the President of the Republic Saied aims to tweak the electoral system in his favour.
Saied has not also wasted a single chance to dismiss similar sentiments that have to do with stifling competition; he was emphatic that they are part of the war against corruption and betrayal in the administration.
However, having the opposition abruptly accuse him of practising tyranny by using the judiciary and the electoral commission to eliminate his opponents, many political analysts fret that Tunisia’s democracy is precarious.
