Tunisians Protest Against President Saied’s Tightening Grip Ahead of Presidential Election

Hundreds of Tunisians marched in protest on Sunday against President Kais Saied, accusing him of stifling political competition and pushing the country towards authoritarianism, just two weeks before the presidential election.

Chanting slogans such as “The people want the fall of the regime” and “Out with dictator Saied,” the demonstrators gathered along the iconic Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis, a focal point of the 2011 “Arab Spring” revolution that ousted longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. This marked the second consecutive week of protests amid a heavy police presence in the capital.

The protest was triggered by a controversial bill proposed by lawmakers to strip Tunisia’s administrative court of its authority over electoral disputes, a move critics argue would undermine the legitimacy of the October 6 election and pave the way for Saied’s re-election.

Nabil Hajji, leader of the opposition Attayar party, accused Saied of manipulating the political process to secure his second term. “Saied’s steps show that he is no longer popular and he fears losing the election,” Hajji told Reuters. “Tunisians now have only one choice, which is the streets to defend our democracy.”

Political tensions have escalated following the electoral commission’s decision to disqualify three prominent presidential candidates—Mondher Znaidi, Abdellatif Mekki, and Imed Daimi—ignoring the administrative court’s ruling.

This left only two candidates to challenge Saied, one of whom, Ayachi Zammel, was sentenced to 20 months in prison last week for falsifying signatures on his election paperwork. Zammel has called the charges politically motivated.

Opponents of the president claim that Saied is using the judiciary and electoral commission to eliminate competition and intimidate rivals. Since being democratically elected in 2019, Saied has increasingly consolidated power, ruling by decree since 2021 in a move widely regarded by the opposition as a coup.

Saied, however, denies the allegations, maintaining that his actions are aimed at rooting out corruption and defending Tunisia from those he referred to as traitors, mercenaries, and the corrupt.

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