tunisia presidential race

Exit poll shows President Saied winning Tunisia’s presidential election

An exit poll indicates that incumbent Tunisian President Kais Saied has won a second term in elections held Sunday, receiving 89.2% of the vote.  “The estimated results indicate Kais Saied’s victory in the presidential election with 89.2%, totaling 2,194,150 votes, said Hassan Zargouni, the director of polling company Sigma Conseil, speaking on Tunisian public television. The electoral authority announced the final list of candidates on Sept. 2, including three contenders: incumbent President Kais Saied, opposition candidate Ayachi Zammel, secretary-general of the Azimoun movement, and Zouhair Maghzaoui, secretary-general of the People’s Movement – a supporter of Saied. Zargouni added that Zammel received 6.9% with 169,727 votes, while Maghzaoui received 3.9% with 95,933 votes. Earlier on Sunday, the Independent High Authority for Elections in Tunisia announced that the preliminary voter turnout in the elections was 27.7% by the time polling stations closed at 6 p.m. local time (1700GMT). Farouk Bouaskar, the president of the authority, said at a press conference in Tunis that “the electoral process went smoothly, and we did not record any incidents that marred this election day, with a respectable turnout from Tunisians at polling stations both domestically and abroad.” “A total of 2,704,155 voters participated in the voting process today, resulting in a preliminary turnout of 27.7%,” he added. Bouaskar said the official and final turnout rates will be announced alongside the preliminary election results on Monday evening. On Sunday morning, the voting process began in Tunisia to elect a president for a five-year term, while voting abroad commenced on Friday in 59 countries. Tunisia’s election is taking place amid political tensions, economic challenges and a polarized electorate.

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Tunisia gears up for October 6th Presidential election

As Tunisia approaches its presidential election on October 6th, the youth express mixed feelings about politics and voting. Some young people, frustrated by a lack of opportunities, dream of leaving the country. Seddik Malki, a fruit vendor, states, “I want to tell the youth: leave through the sea; there is nothing that keeps us here… I have no future here.” Conversely, others remain hopeful that the election will spark change. Lotfi Hamdi, a 32-year-old street vendor, says, “I hope the next president will address the high cost of living and focus on the youth.” Current president Kais Saied is running for re-election. With major opponents imprisoned or barred from competing, he faces criticism for consolidating power and eliminating political rivals. Only two candidates have been approved to run against Saied, who has suspended parliament since taking office in 2019.Tunis

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Tunisia sentences Zammel to six months in prison before Election

A Tunisian court sentenced presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel to six months in prison on Wednesday for falsifying documents, according to his lawyer. This marks Zammel’s second prison sentence in a week, coming just days before the presidential election. The verdict underscores increasing tensions surrounding the election, as opposition and civil society groups express concerns over a potentially rigged process to maintain President Kais Saied’s hold on power. Last week, Zammel received a 20-month sentence for falsifying popular endorsements. “It’s another unjust ruling and a clear attempt to undermine his candidacy, but we will defend his rights until the end,” Zammel’s attorney Abdessattar Massoudi told Reuters. Zammel is one of only three candidates running for president alongside incumbent Saied and Zouhair Magzhaoui. Political unrest has escalated in Tunisia ahead of the October 6 election, following the electoral commission appointed by Saied disqualifying three prominent candidates this month amid protests from opposition and civil society groups.

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