Tunisia: Low turnout at 11.3 per cent in elections second round

11.3 per cent of voters casted their ballot papers during the second round of Sunday elections, Tunisia’s independent elections body, ISIE announced after the poll amid worries for a low turnout after the first round was widely boycotted.

Farouk Bouasker, Head of the body made the announcement at a press conference after the poll.

Some 7.8 million voters were expected for the vote to take place in 131 constituencies. The process took place amid calls for cancellation by most opposition parties and several civil society organizations including the powerful labor union UGTT.

The first round which took place on December 17 recorded the lowest turnout ever registered in the history of the country. The ISIE put the turnout at 11 per cent.
The country’s President Kais Saied played down the turnout and argued that the aggregate turnout is the most important.

Saied, in power since 2019, seized all major powers in July 2021 in what was branded a coup by critics and opposition parties. Bouasker also announced results of the second round will be released on February 1st while the aggregate results will be unveiled on March 4.