Tunisia's elections at 11% turnout, further shakes Kais Saeid's credibility
Tunisian voters headed back to the polls to elect a new parliament after an unsuccessful first roundup, confirming predominant indifference to politics and concerns over their economic and social situation amid a soaring cost-of-living crisis.
TUNIS — Tunisia held the second round of legislative elections on Sunday, registering only 11% turnout, with opposition framing it as a rejection of President Kais Saied and his power grab last year.
“Almost 90% of Tunisian voters ignored this piece of theater and refused to be involved in the process...I call on political groups and civil society to join hands to work for change, in the form of Kais Saied’s departure and early presidential elections," Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, head of the country’s main opposition the National Salvation Front, said on Monday.
After the closing of all polls, the provisional turnout estimated by Tunisia’s electoral commission, the Independent High Authority for Elections (known by its French acronyms ISIE), stood at just 11.3% out of nearly 8 million registered voters. The apathy was seen as a combination of both a rejection of Saeid's moves to grant himself unlimited powers, and a heightened concern over economic conditions in the country.
The runoff follows an overwhelmingly snubbed tour that took place in mid-December and saw a strikingly low participation rate of 11.22%, and resulted in only 23 candidates elected.
