The Tunisian Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) announced the commencement of the 2024 presidential election period starting Sunday, July 14.
The period will continue until the final results are declared.
In a statement, the ISIE emphasized its commitment to monitoring the public space concerning electoral matters.
This includes prohibiting political advertising (as per Articles 3, 57, and 154 of the Electoral Law), banning the publication of election-related opinion polls and journalistic studies and comments via various media (Articles 70 and 156 of the Electoral Law), and forbidding the allocation of toll-free phone numbers, voice mail services, or call centers to any candidate or party (Articles 58 and 152 of the Electoral Law).
The ISIE pledged to enforce the law against any actions that compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
This includes combating speech that incites violence, hatred, intolerance, and discrimination, as well as preventing the dissemination of false information, defamatory content, or any other actions aimed at misleading voters.
The ISIE will also tackle efforts to damage its reputation or that of others, or to infringe on personal privacy and data protection in accordance with current legislation.
In coordination with relevant state institutions, the ISIE will begin overseeing the funding of political activities, with a particular focus on the activities of potential candidates, political parties, and associations involved in electoral matters.
This initiative is in line with the ISIE’s mandate under Article 134 of the Constitution and Articles 2 and 3 of the Basic Law No. 23 of 2012, which pertains to the establishment of the Independent High Authority for Elections.
The ISIE is dedicated to maintaining the integrity, transparency, and fairness of the electoral process.
The submission of candidacy applications for the presidential election will open on Monday, July 29, 2024, at 8:00 AM and close on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at 6:00 PM, as detailed in an announcement by the ISIE on Thursday, July 4.
President Kais Saied issued a decree on July 2, calling on Tunisian voters to participate in the presidential election. He has set the election date for October 6, 2024.
