A Tunisian court on Tuesday upheld an appeal by prominent opposition politician Abdellatif Mekki, allowing him to resume his bid for the presidency in an election expected on October 6, according to judicial and political sources. The electoral commission had previously excluded Mekki from the race due to insufficient popular endorsements. Judicial official Faycel Boguira confirmed that the court’s decision was final and not subject to further appeal.
Tunisia's administrative court is set to issue further rulings this week concerning other politicians who have filed appeals after their candidacy papers were rejected by the commission. These include Mondher Zenaidi, Imed Daimi, and Abir Moussi. The court’s decision now includes Mekki, the head of the Action and Achievement Party, among the accepted candidates, alongside incumbent President Kais Saied and politicians Ayachi Zammel and Zouhair Maghzaoui.
Mekki, a former prominent official in the Islamist Ennahda party who left to found a rival party in 2022, still enjoys significant support among Ennahda’s supporters, one of Tunisia's largest political parties. Ahmed Nafati, Mekki’s campaign manager, praised the court decision as fair and a testament to the administrative court’s integrity, even during challenging times in Tunisia’s history.
Tunisian opposition parties, politicians, and human rights groups have accused the authorities of employing arbitrary restrictions and intimidation to secure President Saied’s re-election. They argue that the electoral commission is not neutral and is attempting to eliminate serious competitors to facilitate Saied’s victory. The commission has denied these allegations. Saied, who dissolved parliament and assumed full control in 2021, a move criticized by the opposition as a coup, stated last year that he would not hand over the country to non-patriots.
