Start of early legislative elections to select 161 deputies

Tunisian legislative elections have started on Saturday, to choose 161 deputies in the House of Representatives. A24 correspondent reported that there are about 9.2 million registered voters, who are expected to participate in the selection of 151 deputies, while 10 seats are reserved for candidates abroad. While voting in the legislative elections took place abroad last Thursday, but will continue internally today in some governorates for security reasons.

There is boycott of the elections from several political parties, including “Ennahda Movement”, “Heart of Tunisia”, “Dignity Coalition”, “Democratic Current”, “Free Destourian”, and others. Political forces participating in the election are those in support of President Kais Saied, such as “Popular Front” coalition.

Saturday’s elections created a series of exceptional measures, which President Saied started implementing on July 25, 2021, preceded by the dissolution of the Judicial Council and Parliament, the issuance of legislation by presidential decrees, and the approval of a new constitution through a referendum on July 25, 2022.

Some Tunisian forces consider these measures a “declaration of absolute individual rule,” while other forces see them as “rectification of the events of 2011 revolution” that overthrew then-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, as they put it.