Tunisian President Kais Saied has announced his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections, according to Tunisian media reports.
As the presidential election approaches, scheduled for October 6, election fever dominates the scene in Tunisia. This will be the first presidential election organized under the 2022 Constitution, which was ratified through a public referendum, replacing the 2014 Constitution. The nomination period begins on July 29 and continues until August 6, with the electoral campaign starting on September 14 and running until October 4. For Tunisians abroad, the campaign will run from September 12 to October 2, with preliminary results announced on October 9. A potential second round, if required, will be held within the following two weeks after the final results are declared.
Preparations for the election are underway, with 11 candidates having declared their intentions to run, some of whom have participated in previous elections. It is expected that more candidates will join the race by the end of the nomination period in late July. Among the prominent names entering the presidential race is Moncef Znaidi, a key minister in the regime of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
This election marks the first under the 2022 Constitution. President Kais Saied has warned of “lobbies” trying to influence the presidential election from behind the scenes, calling for increased efforts to uphold the law, especially during this period.
In terms of candidacy procedures, prospective presidential candidates began the process of collecting the necessary signatures last Monday. The High Independent Authority for Elections in Tunisia has invited all those interested in gathering public or parliamentary endorsements to contact the central headquarters of the authority or its regional offices across all governorates, as well as Tunisian diplomatic and consular missions abroad.
Najla Braqui, a member of the Tunisian High Independent Authority for Presidential Elections, announced that as of today, 42 individuals have collected nomination forms both domestically and internationally. She mentioned that this number includes individuals who have personally submitted or those who have submitted on behalf of a potential candidate through a “legal and special proxy” at the authority’s central headquarters or its regional offices.
The election law requires all presidential hopefuls to gather at least 10,000 endorsements from voters spread across at least 10 legislative electoral districts, with no fewer than 500 endorsements in any single district, or secure the backing of 10 members of the parliament or the National Council of Regions and Provinces, or 40 heads of local communities.
Despite the challenging task of collecting endorsements, 11 candidates have declared their intent to run in the elections, some of whom have competed in previous elections. Among those expressing their intentions is Moncef Znaidi, a significant minister under Ben Ali’s regime. Two retired army officers, Admiral Kamal Akrout and Colonel Adel Dou, along with former MP Safi Said who intends to repeat his 2019 presidential run despite low voter support, have also joined the race. The Ennahda Movement has announced that it will not field a candidate in the presidential race.
Regarding campaign rules, Ayman Bougattas, a member of the Tunisian High Independent Authority for Elections, stated that the electoral campaign will span 21 days leading up to the elections, emphasizing the authority’s consideration of Tunisia’s circumstances during this period, such as the start of the academic year and the return of Tunisians living abroad.
