Tunisia’s President, Kais Saied, has set the next presidential election on October 6. The decree was issued on Tuesday, a statement from the presidency revealed.
Saied, however, has not indicated interest to contest for a second term, even though it is much expected that he will. Saied said last year that he will not hand power to “non-patriots.”
His first term will end on October 23. The retired law professor started ruling in 2019 on a five-year term. Since assuming his tenure, Saied has rewritten the constitution and jailed opponents, especially from major opposition parties.
In March 2022, the president dissolved the parliament after lawmakers, led by the largest opposition party (Ennahda), held an online session to invalidate the president’s move in 2021 to have more controlling powers.
Since 2021, Saied has been ruling the country by decree, which he said was a result of the protests and economic crisis the country was facing. The major opposition party, Ennahda, described Saied’s moves as an unconstitutional coup d’état.
In 2022, after a referendum that witnessed low turnout and boycott by opposition parties, a new constitution was put in place, giving Saied control over the government and the judiciary.
Over the past year, more than 40 critics and political opponents of the president have been imprisoned, including Ennahda’s leader.
Moreover, the main opposition coalition in Tunisia has vowed not to partake in the presidential election unless Saied’s opponents are released and judicial independence restored.
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