Tunisian Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Hayouni announced Saturday that 70,000 security personnel will participate in securing the voting process for early presidential elections on Sunday, in addition to 32,000 military announced by the Ministry of Defense.
Khaled Hayouni said that of the 70,000 security personnel, 50,000 will be mobilized to secure polling stations and participate in the transfer of electoral materials, and to protect and monitor all 26 presidential candidates during their activities and visits.
Hayouni said that 20,000 security will ensure the normal functioning of the rest of the security tasks in parallel with the election date, including the provision of public facilities, public and commercial squares, transport sector, hospitals and the fight against terrorism and crime.
Security will also transport ballot boxes to 27 collection and counting centers across the country.
Some 7 million voters are heading to more than 4,500 polling stations inside Tunisia in the country's second democratic presidential election, the fourth overall since its political transition began in 2011, including the National Constituent Assembly elections in 2011, the legislative and presidential elections in 2014, and the municipality in 2018.
"We have taken into account all possible risks, and we have devoted all possible means to intervene," Hayyouni said. "The task of security will be protection and insurance in total neutrality. They have received in-depth training since 2011."
Earlier, Defense Ministry spokesman Mohamed Zekri told local media about the mobilization of 32,000 soldiers to secure the headquarters of the Electoral Commission and the vicinity of polling stations and to ensure the transfer of electoral materials.
Zekri said the military units would also play their part in securing the border and countering all attempts to prejudice Tunisian soil.
Polling stations open tomorrow at 8:00 am (0700 GMT) and close at 6 pm.
On Saturday, Tunisia entered a period of electoral silence, a day before the start of voting in the presidential elections.
Hours before the start of the electoral silence, two presidential candidates decided on Friday evening to withdraw from the presidential race in Tunisia, in order not to distract the votes and to strengthen the fortunes of independent candidate Abdelkarim Zubeidi.
The two retired candidates, the head of the Tunis Project, Mohsen Marzouk, and the head of the Tunisian Amal Movement, who are on trial for financial corruption, Salim Riahi, who is in exile, called for voting for independent candidate Abdel Karim Zubeidi for the "national interest."
Zubaidi is the last defense minister in the Tunisian government, before resigning after his candidacy for the presidential elections. Trade union in the country.