Tunisians protest poor governance as election campaigns get underway

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By Rédaction Africanews

Last updated: 15/09 - 

Tunisia


Demonstrators took to the streets of Tunisia's capital on Saturday to protest against what they say is the deteriorating state of the country, as the presidential campaign season officially begins.

Samia Abbou, a former Tunisian assembly member who took part in the demonstration, said Saied has failed on many important fronts.

Her and other demonstrators slammed both Tunisia’s economic and political woes, carrying signs that grouped together the growing costs of staple items and growing concerns about civil liberties.


In 2011, longtime Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled by nationwide protests that unleashed revolt across the Arab world.

More than a decade later, demonstrator Sghaier Zakraoui said he was worried about the growing number of political figures who’ve been thrown in jail under Saied and said he wants to ensure that there no more attacks on civil rights.

The protests capped off a week in which the North African country’s largest opposition party, Ennahda, said its senior members had been arrested en masse, at a scale not previously seen.

They come as Saied prepares to campaign for reelection on Oct. 6, when he will ask voters to grant him a second term.

When first elected in 2019, Saied used anti-corruption promises to win over people disillusioned with the political controversies that plagued Tunisia’s young democracy in the years that followed the Arab Spring.

Since taking office, the 66-year-old former law professor has gone to lengths to consolidate his own power, freezing the country’s parliament and rewriting the constitution. Throughout his tenure, authorities have arrested journalists, activists, civil society figures and political opponents across the ideological spectrum.

And though he promised to chart a new course for the country, its unemployment rate has steadily increased to one of the region’s highest at 16%, with young Tunisians hit particularly hard.

Tunisians protest against president ahead of election

By Tarek Amara

September 13, 2024

Demonstrators hold signs and chant slogans during a protest against Tunisia President Kais Saied, whom they accuse of trying to rig the October 6 presidential election by detaining and intimidating his rivals, in Tunis, Tunisia, September 13, 2024. 

REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui

 REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabTUNIS, Sept 13 (Reuters) - 

Thousands of Tunisians marched in the streets on Friday to protest against President Kais Saied, whom they accuse of trying to rig the Oct. 6 presidential election by detaining and intimidating his rivals.

The march was one of the country's biggest protests in two years since Saied began ruling by decree in 2021 in a move the opposition describes as a coup.
The protesters chanted slogans including "Out with dictator Saied" and "No fear, no terror, streets belong to the people".

The electoral commission in August eliminated three prominent candidatopens new tab

from the race, citing alleged irregularities in their candidacy filings. The court in charge of election disputes ordered the commission to reinstate them on Sept. 2 but the commission rejected the ruling.

Critics say Saied is using the electoral commission, whose members he appointed, to secure victory by stifling competition and intimidating candidates. Saied denies the accusations, saying he is fighting traitors, mercenaries and the corrupt, and he will not be a dictator.The commission's decision to defy the court meant only three candidates are left in the race -- Saied, Zouhair Maghzaoui and Ayachi Zammel.

Zammel was jailed 10 days ago, accused of falsifying voter signatures on his paperwork, charges he said were manufactured by Saied. He faces 25 court cases on the issue, and lawyers say he may be forced out of the race

The protesters demanded the release of Zammel and all political prisoners, activists and journalists detained for criticising Saied.

"We are in the street to defend freedoms and rights which are at real risk", Bassam Trifi, the head of Human Rights League, told Reuters.

"The electoral commission should respect the court ruling and end restrictions against candidates. Otherwise, it means an undemocratic election", he added.

Major political parties, many of whose leaders are in prison, say Saied's years in power have eroded the democratic gains of Tunisia's 2011 revolution.