On Monday, Tunisia's electoral commission dismissed an administrative court decision that sought to reinstate three candidates in the upcoming presidential election, heightening concerns among the opposition that the commission is biased towards incumbent President Kais Saied. The commission only validated the candidacies of Saied, Zouhair Magzhaoui, and Ayachi Zammel for the October 6 election, despite the ruling from the highest judicial authority. The electoral campaign is set to commence on September 14, according to the commission's announcement.
This move could undermine the integrity of the election and exacerbate the ongoing political turmoil that began in 2021 when Saied consolidated power and started governing by decree, a move the opposition labels as a coup. Last week, the administrative court, which handles electoral disputes, re-admitted three notable candidates, Mondher Znaidi, AbdelLatif Mekki, and Imed Daimi, into the race after their initial disqualification by the electoral commission.
Tunisian constitutional law experts argue that the election commission must adhere to the administrative court's ruling to maintain the credibility of the elections. In a joint statement, political parties and human rights organizations have called for a protest near the election headquarters to demand the enforcement of the court's decision and to halt any arbitrary restrictions and intimidation tactics.
In a concerning development, Tunisian police arrested presidential candidate Zammel on Monday, according to a campaign member. Zammel was apprehended at his home around 3am on allegations of falsifying popular endorsements, with his campaign member stating that the arrest is part of an effort to exclude him from the election. Neither the electoral commission nor the interior ministry has provided immediate comments on this incident.
