Tunisian polling stations opened their doors yesterday to welcome voters in the presidential run-off to elect a new president to succeed the late President Beji Kaid Essebsi. In this round, candidates Qais Saeed and Nabil Karawi, who led the first round of the elections held in mid-September, competed.
More than 4,500 polling stations opened at 8 am, and more than seven million Tunisian voters are eligible to vote in these elections.The Independent High Electoral Commission hopes to have a better turnout than the first round elections, which did not exceed 41%.
Surprisingly, the independent candidate and retired constitutional law professor Qais Said came in first place in the first round of the presidential race with 18.4% of the total votes, while his rival, media pole and head of the Tunisian Heart Party, Nabil Karoui, got 15.5%. Saeed is notorious for his slogan “No for false promises” and his legal project to strengthen the authority of local government, while in his campaign, Karoui focused on making promises of “tearing the ticket of poverty” and promoting economic growth, supporting investment in the digital sector and improving living conditions. To form the new government, according to the results of the legislative elections held last Sunday.
An international election observation mission in Tunisia said the detention of presidential candidate Nabil Karoui for weeks before the vote raised concerns about the ballot, despite his release.
"The arrest of one presidential candidate and his inability to campaign in equal conditions is a cause for concern for us," said Liz Campbell, head of the joint NDI-IRI field mission.
The Tunisian authorities released Karoui on Wednesday after spending most of the campaign behind bars pending a verdict on corruption charges. Karoui denies any wrongdoing.
A televised debate on Friday evening gathered both candidates, and the debate, which was widely broadcast on private and state television and radio stations, was followed up by Tunisians at home, in cafes and through social media. The president of the country has limited powers compared to those given to the prime minister and parliament, and he handles mainly foreign policy, national security and defense.
Sunday's legislative elections produced a fragmented parliament, with long-term consultations for political alliances looming because Ennahda, which first won 52 seats, cannot form a government that requires 109 votes to ratify.
- The first task of the new Tunisian president will be
Assign a candidate to form a government according to the results
Legislative elections.