Tunisian President Kais Saied vows 'zero tolerance' of referendum opposition

Those against a proposed new constitution renew their call for a boycott of a July 25 vote

Opponents say President Kais Saied is seeking to reinstall an autocracy in the birthplace of the 2011 Arab uprisings. 

Photo: AP

The National
Jul 11, 2022

Tunisian President Kais Saied has said there will be “zero tolerance” for anyone who tries to derail a referendum on a controversial new constitution later this month.

Mr Saied said on Monday all parties should adhere to "neutrality" and must pay attention to "multiple attempts to infiltrate registration processes".

"There is no room for tolerance with those who want to thwart the referendum," he said during a meeting with Farouk Bouaskar, head of the Independent High Authority for Elections, at the Carthage Palace.

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Mr Saied has warned of attempted electoral fraud in the upcoming vote, claiming authorities have detected manipulation as voters register at polling centres ahead of the referendum.

It comes after the Tunisian opposition renewed calls on Monday for a boycott of the July 25 referendum, despite the publication of an amended draft of the proposed constitution.

The draft constitution is the centrepiece of Mr Saied's programme to overhaul Tunisia's political system.

Rivals say the text confirms fears he is seeking to reinstall an autocracy in the birthplace of the 2011 Arab uprisings.

"We call on Tunisians to boycott this illegal, unconstitutional process that aims to legitimise a coup d'etat," veteran opposition figure Ahmed Nejib Chebbi told AFP.

Mr Chebbi said rights and freedoms would be threatened if the charter was approved.

"For me it's the quintessential bad constitution," he said.

Veteran opposition figure Ahmed Nejib Chebbi has called for a boycott of an 'illegal, unconstitutional process'. Photo: AFP

Mr Chebbi's National Salvation Front includes five political parties, among them Mr Saied's nemesis the Ennahdha party, along with five civil society groups involving independent political figures.

It was formed in April, months after Mr Saied, a former law professor elected in 2019 amid public anger against the political class, sacked the government and suspended parliament, later seizing far-reaching legislative and judicial powers.

Mr Saied's initial power grab was welcomed by many Tunisians sick of the often-deadlocked post-revolution political system.

But critics have said his moves risk a return to autocracy, a decade after the 2011 overthrow of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in a popular revolt.







Protesters try to break through security barriers to reach the entrance to the headquarters of the Independent High Authority for Elections in Tunis. EPA

The process of writing the constitution has also come under fire.

The legal expert who oversaw the constitution's drafting has disavowed it, saying it was "completely different" from what his committee had submitted and warning that some articles could "pave the way for a dictatorial regime".

Last week, Mr Saied published an amended draft, apparently attempting to ward off criticism after the original was criticised for the nearly unlimited power it gave his office.

On Monday, Jawhar Ben Mbarek, leader of Citizens Against the Coup, urged Tunisians to "massively reject this referendum".

"We reject the entire process," he told AFP. "We are committed to the 2014 constitution, which we consider to be the only legal constitution, representative of the will of the Tunisian people."

The EU called Monday for an "inclusive national dialogue", saying it would be "a cornerstone of any credible constitutional process and long-term stability".

"It is essential to bring together the widest possible spectrum of political and societal actors in addressing the political, economic and social challenges the country is facing," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's office.
Updated: July 11, 2022, 11:07 PM