By RFPosted on 07-10-2019Modified on 07-10-2019 at 23:55

In Tunisia, the parliamentary elections of 7 October were marked by a high rate of abstention and the emergence of independent candidates who campaigned on the rejection of the existing political offer, which could complicate the composition of a government.

The official results of the Tunisian legislative elections will be announced on October 9th. The vote was marked by a low turnout of 41% and a fragmentation of Parliament. No party is able to govern alone. The Islamist-conservative Ennahdha party, which the projections put in the lead, would win only 40 to 46 seats out of 217 in the Assembly. The other teaching of the poll is the massive arrival of independent candidates who could be between 75 and 85 at Bardo, where the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) is located.

But these independents do not constitute a homogeneous group, because they come from the many currents crossing the society: Islamist, revolutionary, modernist, populist, centrist, RCDistes (Democratic Constitutional Rally, the party of the former president Ben Ali), society civil. By propelling these new faces to the Assembly, many of whom campaigned on the rejection of power, voters clearly rejected the existing political offer.

These new actors have little or no political experience. They are therefore entering a period of apprenticeship in parliamentary work after having been brought to their seats by popular anger. It will therefore probably be difficult for them to integrate governance with Ennahdha, who has repeatedly exercised power since the revolution. However, regardless of the coalition obtained, it will inevitably require the membership of a portion of the independents to obtain the 109 votes for the formation of the government.

Observers fear difficulties that may prevent the formation of a government or the culmination of a weak government that will include parties like the Karama coalition led by populist Islamist lawyer Seifeddine Makhlouf and who has arrived with 18 seats in third position directly after the Islamist party Ennahdha and the party Qalb Tounes of Nabil Karoui.

Karama is an anarchist-fascist group established throughout Tunisia.

Tunisia: Zine El Abidine researcher Hamda Cherif analyzes legislative results

07-10-2019 - By RFI

►To read also: Legislative in Tunisia: record abstention, Ennahdha and Qalb Tounès in mind

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