Tunisian Elections Commission: No scenes of political funding
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The Tunisian Journalists Syndicate condemns what it calls a "serious deviation" in the role of the Elections Commission.
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Head of the Independent Supreme Elections Commission in Tunisia, Farouk Bouasker
The head of the Independent Supreme Elections Commission in Tunisia, Farouk Bouasker, said on Wednesday that all logistical and organizational preparations are ready to hold the elections.
In an interview for Al Mayadeen, Bouasker pointed out that the Tunisian electoral law has undergone a fundamental revision.
He said the Supreme Elections Commission is used to accusations and criticism from the opposition political spectrum, noting that the Commission understands the tense political atmosphere in the country and works within the framework of the law and judicial oversight.
The Tunisian official considered that it is false to say that the Commission is appointed by the Tunisian President, pointing out that that there are candidates for five political parties, which refutes claims about their exclusion, noting that there are parties that are boycotting the elections.
Bouasker told Al Mayadeen that Tunisians know that there are candidates close to Ennahda movement.
He said the Commission has not seen manifestations of political and foreign funding for electoral benefits after 2019, noting that the reports of the Tunisian Court of Accounts confirm that foreign funds went to political parties and presidential candidates in the past.
On Tuesday, the head of the National Salvation Front, Ahmad Najib Al-Shabbi, said the front is making moves to call for a boycott of the legislative elections.
In an interview for Al Mayadeen, Al-Shabbi claimed that the body supervising the elections is biased, as it was formed by Tunisian President Kaid Saied, adding that the President was elected on the basis of the 2014 constitution but tore it up and presented a constitution that suits him.
Tunisian Journalists Syndicate condemns "serious deviation" of Elections Commission
In a similar context, the Tunisian Journalists Syndicate condemned in a statement what it called a "serious deviation" in the role of the Elections Commission.
This comes against the background of warnings sent by the Elections Commission to news websites and radio stations over their media coverage of the Commission's work, according to local radio station Shams FM.
The syndicate accused the Commission of trying to immunize itself from any criticism that might affect its supervision of the legislative elections, in an effort to blame any failure that might affect its duties on the media.
The statement considered that the Commission's measures come with the aim of directing media coverage and limiting the objectivity of the media, which are practices criminalized under Chapter 11 of Decree 115 on freedom of the press.
The Tunisian Journalists Syndicate stressed that no journalist may be held accountable for publishing an opinion or information in accordance with the profession's norms and ethics, pointing out that such practices enable journalists to legally prosecute the Elections Commission.
Tunisian parliamentary elections are set to be held on Saturday amid a boycott carried out by 12 Tunisian parties. These are the first elections after Tunisian President Kais Saied's exceptional measures, which included dissolving the parliament and the Judicial Council, issuing legislation by presidential decrees, and approving a new constitution for the country through a referendum held on July 25, 2022.
Saied argues that these measures were necessary to save Tunisia from collapse, while his opponents consider it a coup against the 2014 constitution.
Read more: Tunisia union chief: Elections 'have neither taste nor colour'
