Large crowds of Tunisians have once again taken to the streets to express growing dissatisfaction with President Kais Saied, as the presidential election, scheduled for October 6, approaches. Demonstrators accuse Saied of restricting the field of candidates, limiting fair competition.
One protester, Mustapha Ben Ali, expressed the sentiments of many in the crowd: “We came to protest to say that the president of the republic, who won five years of governance, does not want these elections to be fair now that his term has ended.”
Among the demonstrators were numerous young Tunisians, some of whom have decided not to participate in the upcoming vote. “No, absolutely not, I won’t vote,” said Siwar Gmati, 27. “First of all, there is no candidate I can support, and secondly, the electoral process itself lacks any guarantees of a transparent and free election.”
Tunisia’s electoral commission, appointed by President Saied, has authorized only two candidates to run against him. In August, Human Rights Watch reported that several potential contenders had been barred from the race through legal prosecutions and imprisonment.
Since taking office in 2019, Saied has dissolved parliament and introduced a new constitution that consolidates his power. His government has also targeted perceived political adversaries, with reports of the arrests of lawyers, journalists, and activists.
