Incumbent President Kais Saied is projected to win a landslide victory in Tunisia’s presidential election as the voting, marred by the pre-election arrests of several opposition figures, saw a record-low voter turnout, The Associated Press reports.
Preliminary results, reported by the independent polling firm Sigma Conseil, show Saied garnering over 89% of the vote. He faces imprisoned businessman Ayachi Zammel and leftist candidate Zouhair Maghzaoui, who initially supported Saied before opting to run against him.
Supporters of the president, who rode a wave of anti-establishment sentiment to power in 2019, celebrated his apparent victory. They view the outcome as a rejection of the political class that preceded Saied’s rise.
However, the election has been widely condemned by the opposition, who boycotted the polls, calling them a sham. They point to the arrest of leading critics, journalists, lawyers, activists, and civil society figures as evidence of Saied’s authoritarian tendencies.
The low voter turnout, with only 27.7% of the electorate casting ballots, underscores the public’s skepticism towards the legitimacy of the election.
Saied’s opponents have regularly protested since his July 2021 power grab, where he suspended parliament and later rewrote the constitution to consolidate power. Dozens of his critics have been imprisoned on charges of inciting disorder, undermining state security, and violating a controversial anti-fake news law.
The election, Tunisia’s third since the Arab Spring, marks a stark departure from the country’s initial trajectory toward democracy. The nation, once hailed as a beacon of hope in the region, now finds itself at a crossroads. The outcome of the election will have a profound impact on Tunisia’s future, with many expressing concerns about the country’s democratic backsliding.
The official results of the election are expected to be announced on Monday.
