Tunisians vote to renew parliament with restricted powers

Employees load ballot boxes into a guarded military truck that will transport them to a polling station in the Ariana constituency near Tunis on December 16, 2022, ahead of legislative elections.

AFP - FETHI BELAID

Text by: RFI Follow

4 mins

This Saturday, December 17, nearly 9 million voters are expected at the polls for the first round of legislative elections to elect the new Parliament of 161 deputies with very limited powers.

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With our correspondent in Tunis,

This is the first legislative election since

took power on July 25, 2021. Since then, the political process led by the president, who monopolizes power, has been the subject of criticism within civil society and opposition parties, who denounce "

", in their words.

The electoral campaign which ended on December 15 aroused little enthusiasm among a population very concerned about the economic problems of the country and the daily life of an increasingly expensive life.

While the Electoral Commission has bombarded voters with messages to encourage them to go to the polls, analysts fear a very low turnout for this election.

Friday, December 16, electoral silence was in order in

, on the eve of the legislative elections, but “

“, retorts a Tunisian political scientist on social networks.

A remark that describes well the atmosphere of these Tunisian elections.

► To read also: Tunisia: the economy, a major issue but forgotten in the upcoming election?

Seven constituencies are without a candidate while ten have only one, who will therefore be elected in advance.

Women do not represent more than 12% of candidates.

The profiles of the candidates for this new assembly range from the unemployed to the businessman, passing through the housewife, the farmer and the teacher, a democratization of the legislative function linked to the type of ballot, single-member to two rounds excluding political parties.

These are also the first elections since the revolution where a majority of political parties openly boycott the ballot, as in the constitutional referendum this summer.

The powerful trade union centre, the UGTT, which does not give voting instructions but

on economic reforms, declared that these elections had neither taste nor color.

Very few foreign observers will be present to watch the ballot, apart from a Russian delegation. 

Moreover, MPs now have much less power than before.

The new Parliament is no longer asked to give its confidence to the government, the deputies are without parliamentary immunity and can be revoked under certain conditions.

Finally, Parliament has no power to control government action or that of the Presidency of the Republic, which gives it direct bills to be examined as a priority.

Selfless youth

During the 2019 presidential election, some young voters overwhelmingly voted for Kaïs Saïed.

The former professor of constitutional law then seduced young people with his quest for social justice in the country and his support for the Tunisian revolution.

Above all, he had succeeded in attracting an electorate that had rarely mobilized in previous elections.

Three years later, will the young people follow the camp of President Kaïs Saïed?

The unemployment rate for 15-24 year olds is stagnating at 38% and irregular migration to Europe is constantly increasing.

More than 16,000 Tunisian migrants have arrived in Italy this year compared to 14,342 in 2021.

And the disaffection of young people from political life could be reflected in the turnout for this Saturday's poll.

Only 14% of legislative candidates are between 23 and 35 years old and 31.6% between 35 and 45 years old, i.e. less than half of the candidates.

“

,” explains sociologist Mohamed Jouili. 

Today, disinterest in politics seems to have taken over among young voters, according to Mohamed Jouili: "

". 

According to a study by the Lam Echaml association, which works to promote citizenship, 44% of young voters say they will vote this Saturday, while 38% are still undecided.

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