Tunisia - Voting 2022
Tunisian President Kais Saied on 13 December 2021 said Tunisia would hold a constitutional referendum next July, exactly a year after he seized broad powers in moves his opponents call a coup, and that parliamentary elections would follow at the end of 2022. In a speech on national television, Saied announced a "popular consultation" with the Tunisian people and said that "other draft constitutional and other changes will be put forward to referendum" on July 25, 2022 – exactly a year after he sacked the government and seized wide-ranging powers. Changes to the constitution would follow the public online consultation and parliament would remain suspended until a new one was elected, said Saied.
Saied's July 25 power grab initially won support from many Tunisians tired of political parties seen as deeply corrupt and incapable of solving the country's deep economic woes. But he has since faced mass demonstrations and growing accusations that he is becoming a new autocrat. Human rights groups have repeatedly warned against the trial of civilians in military courts. In September 2021, Saied brushed aside most of the 2014 democratic constitution to say he could rule by decree during a period of exceptional measures, and promised a dialogue on further changes. In his 13 December 2021 speech, he said parliament would remain suspended until Tunisians vote for a replacement assembly on December 17, 2022, the date he has declared to be the anniversary of the revolution that introduced democracy. "We want to correct the paths of the revolution and history," he said, after lambasting critics of his intervention.
Saied said he would appoint a committee of experts to draft a new constitution, to be ready by June ahead of the referendum. This announcement came days after envoys of seven Western states plus the EU urged Tunisia to respect "fundamental freedoms" and set a timeline for a return to democratic institutions. In a joint statement, the diplomatic mission heads of the G7 nations said they "strongly support the people of Tunisia in their pursuit of effective, democratic, and transparent" governance.... We restate the importance of respect for all Tunisians' fundamental freedoms, and inclusive and transparent engagement with all stakeholders, including diverse political and civil society voices," they said.
They called for "a clear timeline allowing for a swift return to functioning democratic institutions, with an elected parliament playing a significant role". "This will help to ensure widespread and lasting support for Tunisia's future progress. We stand ready to support Tunisia and its people in addressing the challenges ahead," they added.
President Kais Saied announced his declaration to abolish the Supreme Judicial Council on 05 February 2022, a move the body rejected as illegal and an attempt to undermine judges' independence. The head of the council, Youssef Bouzakher, told Reuters news agency that its members were defying Saied's push to close it down and were discussing via email their next steps to oppose the move. Rights groups fear he is growing increasingly authoritarian and his latest move to bring the judiciary under his control would mean he had absolute power over all branches of state.
The Supreme Judicial Council is an independent and constitutional institution, formed in 2016. Its powers include ensuring the independence of the judiciary, disciplining judges and granting them professional promotions. Saied had frequently criticised the judiciary’s delay in issuing rulings in cases of corruption and terrorism. He repeatedly said he would not allow judges to act as if they are a state, instead of being a function of the state. Saied called the council a thing of the past, adding he will issue a temporary decree to the council. He gave no details about the decree.
Tunisia's President Kais Saied announced 30 March 2022 that he was dissolving the country's parliament, eight months after suspending it in a July power grab. "Today, at this historic moment, I announce the dissolution of the Assembly of Representatives of the people, to preserve the state and its institutions," he said. He made the announcement at a meeting of the National Security Council, hours after parliamentarians held a plenary session online and voted through a bill against his "exceptional measures". Saied denounced parliament's move as a "coup attempt" and said those responsible had "betrayed" the nation.
The New Salvation Front coalesced several parties to oppose Saied. The new coalition against him comprises five political parties, including the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha Party — Saied's longtime rivals — as well as civil society groups and independent political figures. Saied still has some popular support — after all many agreed with his criticisms of the political order.
On 29 January 2023, approximately 11 percent of eligible voters voted in runoff elections for the first chamber of parliament, the Assembly of Representatives of the People, following a first round in December 2022. The Carter Center conducted a limited observation and while it did not note any major irregularities on election day during the second round, the center emphasized in a February 1 statement that “Tunisia’s faint voter participation – about 11 percent in both rounds – marks a low point in its democratic transition, which was derailed when the president took control of all levers of power in July 2021.” The center also maintained that the historically low turnout reaffirmed the need for a “national dialogue to reset the country’s stalled democratic transition.” On December 24, a first round of local elections was held as the first step towards electing the second chamber of parliament, the National Council of Regions and Districts.
Many political parties boycotted the January legislative elections as well as the December elections for the second chamber of parliament, citing procedural concerns leading up to the elections and a ban on political parties campaigning for candidates under the electoral law. Some opposition political parties called for early presidential elections, arguing the low January turnout showed a lack of support for the president and his government. In February, authorities arrested numerous prominent political opposition figures and other perceived critics of the government; civil society organizations criticized these arrests as politically motivated.
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