Early general elections in Tunisia in 5 questions

By Mehmet Akif Turan

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Tunisia goes to the polls for early general elections on Saturday, Dec. 17, in the shadow of the parties' boycott decisions.

Tunisia has more than 9 million registered voters, 1,058 candidates, 120 of whom are women, representing 161 constituencies and competing for the 161-seat Assembly.

During the election campaign held between Nov. 25 and Dec. 13, elections are held 'silently' across the country, as only individual campaigns are allowed.

Approximately 1500 applications were made in total during the candidacy process. However, No applications were made from 7 electoral districts, while only one candidate from 10 regions applied for a parliamentary position.

According to the new election law, the seats in parliament were reduced to 161 from 217, with ten seats representing ex-pat Tunisians.

Parties taking part in the upcoming elections are parties close to President Kais Saied, which include the Tunisian Popular Current, the People's Movement, the July 25 Movement, and the Tunisia Forward Movement, while 12 leading political parties in the country announced their boycott of the elections.

- Why are early general elections held?

With the unusual decisions announced by Tunisian President Saied on July 25, 2021, the work of the parliament was frozen and parliamentary immunity was lifted.

On Sept. 22, 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied amended the election law so that voters choose individuals instead of the party.

The measures taken by Saied were strongly rejected by most of Tunisia's parties.

President Saied, in his 'road map out of the political crisis' announced on Dec. 13, 2021, stated that a constitutional amendment referendum would be held on July 25, 2022, while early parliamentary elections would be held on Dec. 17, 2022. All while keeping the Assembly frozen.

On July 25, 30.5 percent of the voters participated in the referendum, and the new Constitution was accepted with 94.6% yes votes.

Following the adoption of the new Constitution, on Sept. 15, the new election law to be applied in the early general elections to be held on Dec. 17 was announced.

- What is the new election system?

The electoral system announced on Sept. 15 under the name 'the narrow district electoral system' declares that constituencies in the country are divided by the number of seats in the Assembly and each constituency is represented by one candidate.

According to the new absolute-majority system, candidates must receive more than half of the votes in the first round to be elected.

If this rate of votes cannot be achieved, the second round elections, in which the two candidates with the highest number of votes participate, are expected to be held within two weeks.

New candidacy conditions such as residence conditions, 400 signatures from the candidacy constituency, and taxes declaration were also introduced in the new law.

The narrow district electoral system is applied in very few countries due to its negative aspects compared to the pluralist representation system.

- Which political parties boycott the elections and why?

Political parties cited two different reasons for boycotting the elections.
Some political parties oppose every step taken after the July 25 decisions, as they describe them as a "coup." Others support the July 25 decisions. However, they oppose the steps taken by President Saied afterward, as they "do not find it democratic."

Parties boycotting the elections are The Ennahda Movement, represented by 53 deputies in the abolished 217-seat Assembly; the Heart of Tunisia Party, with 28 deputies; the Honor Coalition, with 18 seats, the Movement party, which acts jointly with 22 deputies, the Al Amal Party, the Republican Party, the Workers' Party, and the Democratic Modernist Pole with the Courant Démocrate - Attayar Democratic Labor and Freedoms Alliance Free Constitutional Party with 16 seats and Afek Tounes Party with two deputies.

- Which political formations support the election?

The Tunisian National Youth Movement was founded after July 25 by the Tunisian Bar Association President Brahim Bouderbala, who is a supporter of Saied and is among the parties that will participate in the election.

The movement came to the fore with its support of the decisions of Tunisian President Kais Saied on July 25, 2021. It consists of the People's Win Initiative, the People's Establishment Initiative, the People's Movement, and The Tunisian Forward Party.

The People's Movement announced that they had nominated candidates in 85 constituencies, including five former deputies, across the country.
The Tunisian National Youth Movement announced campaigning in all constituencies across the country with independent candidates.

- Why are independent candidates the majority in this election?

In the new election system, independent candidates come to the fore in candidacy applications as the individual application system is adopted.
Since parties were prohibited from campaigning, all candidates, party or not, were only allowed to campaign individually.

Tunisian political experts say that after the election process in which independent candidates are in the majority, there will be difficulties in forming coalitions regarding the formation of the government in the upcoming parliament.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report