Opposition parties, presidential candidates, and human rights groups in Tunisia have accused the authorities of imposing “arbitrary restrictions” and intimidation to secure the re-election of President Kais Saied in the upcoming October 6 vote.
Saied, who announced his bid for a second five-year term on July 19, dissolved parliament in 2021 and has ruled by decree, a move opponents labeled a coup. He has vowed not to cede power to what he calls “non-patriots.”
With the August 6 deadline for presidential candidate registration approaching, 11 opposition figures criticized the authorities for creating obstacles that may exclude serious contenders.
The new requirement for a document certifying candidates have no criminal record has delayed their ability to register. The Election Commission stated that the interior ministry will eventually provide these documents but did not specify a timeline. The Commission denied any bias.
In a separate statement, 17 NGOs, including the Human Rights League, and six opposition parties condemned government control over public media, the judiciary, and the Election Commission. They claimed that these controls foster a “climate of intimidation” that undermines fair elections.
Presidential candidate Nizar Chaari reported that his campaign manager and a volunteer were arrested, and signatures collected for his candidacy were confiscated. The Public Prosecutor’s office accused them of database theft and forgery, which Chaari’s campaign denies.
Additionally, opposition leader Lotfi Mraihi was sentenced to eight months in prison for vote-buying and banned from future presidential races. Another candidate, Abd Ellatif Mekki, has been barred from media appearances and travel.
Hela Ben Jaballah, head of the Freedoms Committee in Parliament, has called for an end to these restrictions and urged the Election Commission to maintain neutrality, a claim the Commission asserts it already upholds.