Amendments to electoral law stir controversy in Tunisia
The Tunisian parliament has approved controversial amendments to the electoral law that could exclude candidates for the presidential and legislative elections at the end of 2019.
TUNIS, Tunisia — A Tunisian constitutional oversight authority upheld electoral law amendments some critics say are designed specifically to end the bid of the presidential campaign front-runner.
That candidate's chances, however, may have already dimmed considerably, as he was recently charged with money laundering.
The 217-seat parliament approved the constitutional amendments June 18, with 128 of the members present voting in favor of the changes, 30 rejecting them and 14 abstaining. But just days later, 51 members challenged the decision. On July 8, the country's Provisional Authority, which determines the constitutionality of laws, rejected the challenge.
Mustafa Ben Ahmed, a leader of the secular Long Live Tunisia party, told Al-Monitor, “The [amended] electoral law aims to improve the transparency of elections by regulating political advertising and charitable works intended to fool people into casting their votes.”
