TUNIS: Tunisia’s main opposition coalition has said that it would not take part in the North African country’s upcoming presidential polls unless President Kais Saied’s political rivals are freed and judicial independence is reinstated.
More than 20 political rivals have been charged or jailed since Saied consolidated power in 2021 by suspending the country’s parliament and rewriting the constitution. Voters tired of political and economic turmoil had approved his constitutional changes in a 2021 referendum with very low turnout.
Tunisian Opposition
Saied is widely likely to run in the presidential polls, expected to take place in September or October. It is not clear if anyone will challenge the incumbent President.
The National Salvation Front, a coalition of the main opposition political parties including once-powerful movement Ennahdha, expressed deep concern that the election would not be fair, and laid out its conditions for presenting a potential candidate.
They include releasing imprisoned politicians, permitting Ennahdha’s headquarters to reopen, guaranteeing the independence of the electoral commission and also reopening the independence of the judicial system, National Salvation Front leader Ahmed Nejib Chebbi said.
