Published on : Modified :
Tunisia organized, on Sunday, the second round of legislative elections intended to elect a Parliament deprived of real powers. After a record abstention rate, according to preliminary figures, the main coalition of opponents called in the evening to form a united political and union front once morest President Kais Saied.
The main coalition of opponents in Tunisia called on Sunday (January 29th) to form a united political and trade union front to oust President Kais Saied following a record abstention rate during an election to elect the new Parliament.
The National Salvation Front (FSN) called on the other opposition parties, civil society and the powerful UGTT trade union center to “work hand in hand to create change through the departure of Kaïs Saïed and going to an early presidential election. “.
According to Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, president of the FSN, which includes the Islamist-inspired party Ennahdha, the meager turnout of 11.3% – preliminary figures – announced for the second round of legislative elections on Sunday, “proves once once more the failure total” by Kais Saied. This means that “nearly 89% have turned their backs on this play and refused to participate in the political process” of Kaïs Saïed, he said.
“I do not trust”
The first round had already been marked by an abstention of almost 90%, a record since the advent of democracy in the cradle country of the Arab Spring where some polls brought together up to 70% of voters in the last decade.
“I don’t trust the political class. Saïed might make a radical change. He (…) did nothing,” laments Omrane Dhouib, a 37-year-old abstentionist baker interviewed in Tunis.
The election of 131 deputies (out of 161 seats, including 30 already filled in the first round) represents the final stage of the reforms imposed for 18 months by President Kaïs Saïed to return to a hyper-presidentialist system, similar to that before the 2011 revolution and the fall of dictator Ben Ali. Considering the country ungovernable, Kaïs Saïed seized all powers on July 25, 2021, then revised the Constitution last summer to abolish the hybrid parliamentary system in force.
“Dictatorial drift”
Experts have explained the low attendance by various factors including a call for a boycott of the poll by the main political parties. Despite deep divisions that prevent it from mobilizing in the street, the opposition unanimously denounced a process described as a “coup d’etat” and a “dictatorial drift” by Kais Saïed.
Another reason: the majority of the candidates were unknown and without political affiliation. The few voters therefore made personal choices, the older ones saying above all “fulfilling their electoral duty”.
Belhassen Ben Safta, a 60-year-old taxi driver, intends “never to leave the old system (Ennahdha) the possibility of returning. They are responsible for our misery”. In Gafsa (south), Mohamed Tlijani and Ali Krimi, two fifties, came to vote for a cousin, believing “to have the right to be represented in Parliament”.
According to experts, part of the population, sharing Kais Saïed’s aversion to political parties, approves of his limitation of the powers of the future parliament, which will find it difficult to overthrow the government and will never be able to dismiss the president.
“Disinterest”
“Given the lack of interest” in politics, “this Parliament will have little legitimacy, the president, all-powerful thanks to the 2022 Constitution, will be able to dominate it as he pleases”, said Youssef Cherif, expert from Columbia Global. Centers.
The attention of the 12 million Tunisians is elsewhere. “I never vote. All economic sectors are suffering and Saïed is not interested in it”, denounces Mohamed Abidi, a 51-year-old waiter in Tunis.
Tunisians have seen their purchasing power plummet with inflation above 10% and are enduring shortages of subsidized foodstuffs (milk, sugar or oil). Growth is sluggish, unemployment high (more than 15%) and more than 32,000 Tunisians emigrated illegally last year.
Reason for additional concern: negotiations with the IMF for a loan of 1.9 billion dollars, the key to other foreign aid, have been stalling for months. This led the American agency Moody’s to downgrade the rating of Tunisia’s long-term debt by another notch on Saturday, judging “higher” the risk of default.
The blocking of the talks is said to be due to disagreements between President Saïed and his government on the program submitted to the IMF in exchange for its aid. Kaïs Saïed is reluctant, according to experts, to adopt unpopular measures such as the lifting of subsidies on basic products and a restructuring of over-indebted and overstaffed public companies.
With AFP
