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Because the president runs for a brand new time period, critics say no dependable elections could be held except jailed opposition politicians are launched.
Tunisian President Kais Saied has mentioned he’ll run for a brand new five-year time period in elections in October.
Saied’s announcement comes after the opposition says honest and credible elections can’t be held except jailed politicians are launched and the media is allowed to do its work with out authorities stress.
“I formally announce my candidacy for the October 6 presidential elections to maintain the battle for nationwide liberation going,” Saied, who has been ruling by decree since parliament was suspended in July 2021, mentioned Friday in a video launched by his workplace.
Talking from the southern area of Tataouine, the 66-year-old mentioned he was responding to the “sacred calling of the nation”, leaving him with no alternative however to run for a second time period.
In July, Saied introduced that the presidential elections could be held on October 6.
A number of potential challengers who had introduced their candidacy are actually in jail or going through prosecution.
In his announcement, Saied referred to as on “all these getting ready to sponsor (candidates) to keep away from corruption.”
Lotfi Mraihi, the chief of the opposition Republican Union celebration, was sentenced to eight months in jail on Friday for vote-buying and banned for all times from working for president, Tunisian media reported.
Mraihi, one among Saied’s most outstanding critics, was arrested in July on suspicion of cash laundering.
Crackdown on political opposition
Abir Moussi, chief of the Free Constitutional Get together and a outstanding candidate, has been in jail since final yr on expenses of endangering public security.
Moussi’s celebration mentioned she was jailed to take away her from the presidential race, however authorities deny this.
Different candidates – together with Safi Saeed, Nizar Chaari and Abd Ellatif Mekki – are being prosecuted for fraud and cash laundering, amongst different expenses.
Issam Chebbi, a pacesetter of the primary opposition Nationwide Salvation Entrance who was arrested in February 2023 for “conspiracy in opposition to the state,” withdrew from the race on Thursday, his celebration mentioned.
Rached Ghannouchi, a outstanding opposition chief and former speaker of parliament, has been in jail since April 2023 on expenses that his Ennahdha celebration obtained international donations that he and his supporters say are unfounded.
Amnesty Worldwide reported this week that Tunisian authorities have “elevated their repression in opposition to the political opposition”.
Saied, a former constitutional legislation professor, was elected in 2019 as an anti-establishment activist on a promise to stamp out corruption.
Tunisian President Saied says he’ll run for re-election in October | Election Information
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