Tunisia’s election: only two candidates to contest Saied

Tunisia’s electoral authority confirmed on Monday that only two candidates will compete against President Kais Saied in next month’s elections.

One of these candidates, businessman Ayachi Zammel, was arrested shortly after the announcement and is being investigated for allegedly falsifying signatures of registered voters.

The treasurer of Zammel’s former political party was arrested by authorities last month on similar allegations.

Tunisia’s electoral authority confirmed on Monday that the only candidates eligible to run for president in the October 6 election are incumbent Saied, Zammel, who leads a small pro-business party, and Zouhair Maghzaoui, a former left-wing pan-Arabist parliament member.

Originally, 17 individuals had aimed to enter the race for presidency.

There is growing concern among observers about the signs of democratic erosion in Tunisia as the campaign season approaches on September 14.

President Saied has taken drastic measures, including the imprisonment of political adversaries, the suspension of parliament, and the rewriting of the constitution, which has solidified his power in a country that was once a beacon of democratic change during the Arab Spring a decade ago.

The electoral authority’s recent ruling stands in stark contrast to a decision made last week by Tunisia’s highest administrative court, which had ruled in favour of allowing three candidates, initially disqualified by the electoral commission, to run.

The electoral commission has turned down their reinstatement, arguing on Monday that it did not receive the administrative court’s ruling within the legal timeframe.

Farouk Bouaskar, the president of the commission, also highlighted a lack of endorsements and the necessary financial deposit of 10,000 dinars (3,000 euros).

Critics have accused the commission of making a politically charged decision.

Faycel Bouguerra, a spokesperson for the administrative court, stated on local radio Diwan FM that it is unprecedented for the court’s decisions to remain unimplemented.

Protesters from NGOs and opposition parties gathered outside the electoral commission to voice their dissent over the exclusion of three candidates.

The list of approved candidates did not feature Saied’s most notable opponents: Abir Moussi, the imprisoned leader of the Free Destourian Party, and Abdellatif Mekki, a former member of the Islamist party Ennahda, both of whom had submitted their candidacies.

Contrary to predictions of a largely uncontested election, Saied has significantly altered Tunisia’s political landscape in recent months.

Last month, he dismissed most of his cabinet, and his critics condemned a series of arrests and gag orders targeting key opposition figures as politically motivated.

Last month, Saied replaced most of his cabinet, which led critics to accuse him of politically motivated arrests and gag orders targeting major opposition figures.

Still, a considerable number of Tunisians remain in his corner, attracted to his populist rhetoric against corrupt elites and foreign influence in domestic affairs.