On October 6, Tunisia Will Hold Presidential Elections

The office of President Kais Saied announced on Tuesday that Tunisia will hold a presidential election on October 6. Saied’s plans to seek reelection in 2019 for a second five-year term are still unknown.

Expert in constitutional principles, Saied took total power over the country in 2021, enacting decrees to remove the prime minister and parliament and arrest many of his opponents in the process.

By means of a referendum in 2022, he effectively instituted a new constitution that established a presidential government in addition to a parliament with limited powers.

On July 2, 2024, Saied’s administration released a statement announcing the call to voters for the forthcoming presidential election, which is set for Sunday, October 6, 2024.

Tunisia’s economy has been severely impacted by the political unrest brought on by his consolidation of power; the country’s unemployment rate is fifteen percent, and four million of its twelve million residents live in poverty.

Additionally, as reported by the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, a crackdown on the media has resulted in the conviction of over sixty journalists, attorneys, and political opponents.

After several arrests of journalists, attorneys, and human rights activists in May, Saied unexpectedly took over as interior and social affairs minister.