Tunisia to hold presidential election on Sunday
2 Min Read
With his main rivals either imprisoned or excluded from the ballot, Tunisian President Kais Saied has minimal challenges to securing reelection on Sunday.
-
Tunisian former conservative constitutional law professor Kais Saied stands in his office in Tunis, Tunisia, Tuesday, September 17, 2019. (AP)
Tunisians are set to vote in a presidential election on Sunday, choosing from three candidates, including one currently in prison, to lead the North African nation for the next five years.
Ayachi Zammel, the liberal head of the Azimoun party, was imprisoned just before the election, facing over 12 years for electoral violations.
The Tunisian public prosecutor ordered the detention of Zammel pending a trial, Reuters reported on September 4. Tunisian police detained Zammel on allegations of falsifying campaign details for the upcoming election, his team confirmed on September 2.
Another candidate, Zouhair Magzhaoui of the left-wing nationalist People's Movement, is widely perceived as a supporter of the current president.
Maghzaoui told Sputnik he intends to expand ties with Arab and African nations, as well as the BRICS bloc if elected, to revive the country's economy.
"The Tunisian foreign policy has long been hostage to ties with its traditional partners, mainly the European Union. These relations are rooted in the [European] hegemony, and this needs change," Maghzaoui said.
Saied introduced a cabinet reshuffle August 25, changing a number of ministers, including those in the foreign and defense departments, according to a statement posted on Facebook without explanation. The sudden change removed 19 ministries and three state secretaries, only days after Saied dismissed the former Prime Minister.
