Tunisia - October 2024

Incumbent President Kais Saied won the presidential election on 6 October, securing a second term with 90.69 per cent of the vote in the first round. He faced only two male opponents: Ayachi Zammel, the imprisoned Azimoun party leader, who received 7.35 per cent of the vote, and Zouhair Maghzaoui of the People's Movement, who garnered 1.97 per cent. The Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) barred three other candidates from running, despite a ruling from the Administrative Court that they be reinstated. The election was boycotted by several opposition parties, including the National Salvation Front coalition, driven by concerns over the absence of conditions for fair elections. While election observers noted that the election was well-organized, they raised concerns about the limited number of approved candidates, the legal framework governing ISIE, and the denial of accreditation to some local civil society observation groups. Notably, two of Tunisia's most well-established observer organizations, I Watch and Mourakiboun, were denied accreditation. Voter turnout was 28.80 per cent of registered voters, down from 48.98 per cent in the 2019 presidential election.

Sources: Independent High Authority for Elections, Al Jazeera, Human Rights Watch, RFI, Le Monde, African Union, Human Rights Watch

The presidential election on 6 October saw a dramatic decline in voter turnout, with only 28.80 per cent of registered voters casting ballots. While it still surpasses the record-low 11.40 per cent seen in the 2023 parliamentary elections, this is the lowest turnout in Tunisia’s presidential history and represents a significant drop from the 48.98 per cent turnout in the first round of the 2019 election, and an even steeper decline from the 55.02 per cent turnout that was registered in the second round in 2019. Voter turnout was particularly low among the youth, with just 6 per cent casting their votes. Observers have pointed out several factors contributing to the reduced participation, such as increased presidential control over the electoral process, the repression of opposition groups, and restrictions on media and civil society. The detention of opposition figures, including presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel, alongside the limited number of candidates approved by the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE), intensified public discontent. Opposition groups called for a boycott, citing concerns over the absence of conditions for fair elections.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Middle East Monitor, RFI, Independent High Authority for Elections (1), Independent High Authority for Elections (2), International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2)