After the low turnout for the elections.. Washington calls on the Tunisian government to expand political participation

Yesterday, Wednesday, the United States called on Tunisia to enhance democratic participation, after only 11.4% of voters attended the second round of the House of Representatives elections with limited powers.

Vedant Patil, deputy spokesman for the US State Department, said that the low participation rate in the Tunisian elections is an indication of the need for the government to engage in a more comprehensive process to expand political participation.

"The low voter turnout reflects the urgent need for the government to engage in a more inclusive path moving forward...but the elections represent another step in an important and essential path to restore democratic checks and balances in (this) country," he added.

And he added that Washington remains committed to the long-term partnership with Tunisia, and will continue to support the aspirations of the Tunisian people for a democratic and accountable government that protects human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, and preserves space for civil society.

The second round of voting - which took place last Sunday - witnessed the lowest participation rate since the 2011 revolution that toppled the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The day before yesterday, President Kais Saied decided to extend the state of emergency until the end of the current year 2023, and called on the National Guard to confront what he described as "enemies of the homeland."

The internal state of emergency grants exceptional powers, including banning meetings, banning curfews and labor strikes, inspecting shops, censoring the press, publications, radio broadcasts, and cinematic and theatrical performances.

These powers are applied without the need to obtain prior permission from the judiciary, which raises growing domestic and international criticism.

Local opposition forces express fears of abusing the state of emergency against those who reject the exceptional measures imposed by the President of the Republic on July 25, 2021, which exacerbated the political crisis in the country, which exacerbated another crisis on the economic level.

Among these exceptional measures were the dissolution of the Judicial Council and Parliament, the issuance of legislation by presidential decrees, the holding of early legislative elections on December 17, 2022, and the adoption of a new constitution through a referendum on July 25, 2022.