Tunisia’s President Kais Saied has secured a second term in office with a landslide victory, garnering over 90% of the vote, according to the country’s electoral commission.
The election, held on Sunday, saw only two candidates challenging President Saied out of a pool of over a dozen hopefuls. The restricted field was a result of authorities arresting and jailing dissidents and potential rivals.
Voter turnout was remarkably low, with only 29% of the more than nine million registered voters participating. This has raised concerns about the legitimacy of the election.
Rights groups had criticized the election, citing unfair conditions and restrictions on opposition candidates. Five political parties urged their supporters to boycott the poll, fearing it wouldn’t be free or fair.
Tunisia was once hailed as a beacon of democracy in the Arab world after pro-democracy protests ousted long-time autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
However, since President Saied’s election in 2019, the country has witnessed a significant shift towards authoritarianism. Saied has suspended parliament, rewritten the constitution, and consolidated power.
The electoral commission announced preliminary results on Monday, stating President Saied received 2,438,954 favorable votes.
Businessman Ayachi Zammel, Saied’s closest challenger, secured 7% of the vote despite being sentenced to 12 years in prison for falsifying documents just days before the poll.
Zouhair Maghzaoui, the third candidate, garnered nearly 2% of the vote. The final results are expected to be announced early next month.
Rights group Amnesty International has condemned the decline in fundamental rights under Saied’s government, but the president maintains he’s fighting corruption and traitors.
