TUNIS, Aug 10 – Tunisia’s electoral commission has announced the preliminary approval of just three candidates for the upcoming presidential election, including the incumbent, Kais Saied. This decision has sparked significant criticism, with opposition figures accusing the government of manipulating the process to exclude serious contenders.
The commission confirmed on Saturday that only Saied, his ally Zouhair Magzhaoui, and Ayachi Zammel, a lesser-known politician, will appear on the ballot for the October 6 election. Fourteen other potential candidates were rejected, fueling claims of political bias.
Prominent politicians like Mondher Znaidi, Imed Daimi, and Abdel Latif Mekki allege that the interior ministry deliberately withheld the criminal record documentation required by the commission, a new and contentious prerequisite for candidacy. They argue that the authorities are trying to return Tunisia to the days of autocratic rule, where elections were merely a formality.
The head of the electoral commission, Farouk Bou Asker, dismissed these accusations, stating that the disqualifications were due to a lack of sufficient citizen endorsements, not the absence of criminal records.
Despite this explanation, opposition parties and human rights groups remain skeptical, accusing the government of using “arbitrary restrictions” and intimidation to secure Saied’s re-election. The situation is further complicated by a recent court ruling that sentenced four potential candidates to prison for vote buying, effectively barring them from the race.
One of the disqualified candidates, Safi Said, withdrew from the race on Friday, describing the election as a “one-man show.”
