Tunisian President Kais Saied has announced his candidacy for a second term in the upcoming October election. However, critics argue that fair and credible elections cannot be held unless imprisoned opposition politicians are released and the media is allowed to operate freely without government interference. Saied has ruled by decree since suspending parliament in July 2021.
Several potential challengers who have announced their candidacy are either in prison or facing prosecution. Critics believe that the crackdown on political opposition, including leading figures such as Abir Moussi, Rached Ghannouchi, and Lotfi Mraihi, is an attempt to undermine the democratic process and prevent a fair election.
Saied has called on sponsors to ensure corruption is avoided in the election process. However, the opposition and international organizations like Amnesty International have criticized the Tunisian authorities for their crackdown on political opposition, citing cases of imprisonment, charges of vote buying, money laundering, and other allegations as tactics to silence dissenting voices.
Saied, who was elected in 2019 promising to fight corruption, now faces scrutiny for his government’s actions against opposition leaders. As the election approaches, the debate over the credibility of the electoral process in Tunisia continues, with calls for the release of jailed politicians and a level playing field for all candidates.
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