Tunisia’s Independent High Authority for Elections announced on Monday that Kais Saied won a second term as president, securing 90.7% of the votes in the presidential election. A total of 2.4 million people voted for Saied, while his main rival, imprisoned candidate Ayachi Zammel, received 197,000 votes (7.35%). Another candidate, former MP Zouhair Maghzaoui, garnered 52,000 votes (1.97%). The voter turnout was 28.8%, the lowest recorded since the Tunisian revolution that overthrew Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
This election marks a significant moment in Tunisia’s political landscape, with concerns over fundamental rights under Saied’s presidency. Amnesty International has raised alarms about a decline in rights since Saied’s power grab in 2021 when he dissolved parliament and later rewrote the constitution, concentrating power in the presidency. The election saw the imprisonment of several political rivals, particularly from right-wing and Islamist groups.
In his victory speech, Saied promised to rid the country of corruption and blamed foreign conspiracies for the challenges Tunisia has faced. However, the low voter turnout indicates widespread political disengagement, with many Tunisians feeling disenfranchised amid the country’s ongoing economic struggles.
The Arab League issued a preliminary statement regarding its mission to observe the Tunisian presidential elections. This mission was carried out following an invitation from the Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, in coordination with the Tunisian Independent High Authority for Elections. The mission praised the well-organized voting process and the secure environment that prevailed on election day.
According to the statement, the mission’s task was to observe the compliance of the opening, voting, counting, and tallying procedures with Tunisia’s electoral laws and the Independent High Authority for Elections’ decisions. The mission’s teams were deployed in six Tunisian states, monitoring the opening process at eight polling stations and following voting procedures in 270 stations across 84 electoral centers. They also observed the counting process in seven polling stations.
The mission confirmed that the opening procedures adhered to legal requirements, including the sealing of ballot boxes and the preparation of opening reports. Voting started on time at 8:00 AM, and election materials were available at all polling stations visited. The mission did not note any complaints about a shortage of materials during the voting process.
The observers noted that voter registers were publicly displayed at all polling stations they visited, and no objections were recorded in most locations. The electronic verification process to ensure no duplicate votes by individuals who voted abroad was also observed. However, technical issues occasionally delayed the voting process, although this did not disrupt the overall flow of the elections. The mission recommended further study and improvement of this electronic verification system to ensure its efficiency in the future. Privacy was ensured in 95% of the polling stations visited.
The mission also noted compliance with the rules regarding campaign posters, which were placed in designated areas outside polling stations. However, some campaign materials were still visible in certain areas during election day.
