According to the electoral commission on Sunday, according to preliminary data, only 11.15% of incumbents voted. This is slightly less than the 11.2% in the first round of elections in December.
Many parties boycotted the election. Critics accuse President Kais Saied of a coup d’état. He overthrew Parliament 17 months ago and replaced the government with ministers he had chosen. In addition, he significantly increased the powers of the president, so that almost all the power in the country is in his hands.
fear of autocracy
Opponents accuse Saied of wanting to turn North Africa’s last democratic state into an autocracy. Parliamentary elections also aim to legitimize the reforms he has imposed. Election results were no longer expected for Sunday. The official final result should only be known in the coming days.
Since the outbreak of the Arab Spring in 2011, Tunisia has been considered a beacon of hope for democratization in the region. On January 14, 2011, the autocratic president Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali was overthrown, which is why many consider this date to be the anniversary of the revolution.