Tunisians to vote on parliament in poll boycotted by opposition
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Tunisia is to hold parliament elections amid a boycott of the opposition that stands united.
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Tunisia elections
Tunisia is set to hold an election on Saturday for a parliament; the first under the new constitution.
Voters will vote for candidates individually instead of lists prepared by parties, and the principle of gender parity, which was approved in 2016 as one of the main demands in 2011, has been abolished.
Earlier, a Russian delegation arrived in the Tunisian capital in order to take part in the observation process of the parliamentary elections scheduled for today, Saturday, December 17.
These elections come as opposition political groups in the North African country have called for a boycott, saying the election is allegedly part of a "coup" against the country's democracy.
Earlier, Saied took a number of measures, including suspending parliament.
Since then, Saied has pushed through a new constitution giving the presidency almost unrestrained powers and laying the ground for a 161-seat legislature.
In Tunisia's former constitution, the previous legislature had broad powers under the mixed presidential-parliamentary system. Candidates in Saturday's election, however, are running as individuals under a system that delegitimizes political parties, including the opposition.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
