Tunisia: Proposed amendment to electoral law rejected by UGTT, Ennahda Party, others

Several voices mounted to reject a proposed revision of certain provisions of a 2014 law, which governs elections and referendums in Tunisia. The proposal, put forward by a group of deputies to the General Legislation Commission, was submitted with an urgent request for review.

In this vein, the National Bureau of the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), the Islamist Ennahda movement, and the Tunisian Bar Association have voiced strong opposition to the revision.

As reported by Echaab News, the National Bureau of the UGTT called on the Independent Superior Authority for Elections (ISIE) to adhere to the existing legal framework, urging the electoral body to reject any amendments that violate deadlines or compromise the integrity of the electoral process.

In parallel, the Islamist Ennahda movement called for the immediate withdrawal of the legislative proposal, warning that it could become a “political scandal.” In a statement, Ennahda criticized the attempt to alter election laws during an ongoing campaign, calling it both politically and morally unjustifiable, and arguing that such changes would undermine the legitimacy of the upcoming presidential election.

President of the Tunisian Bar Association, Hatem Mzio, also condemned the proposal. While he noted that he had not received formal notification of the amendment but learned about it from social media, Mzio deemed the proposal “unacceptable in both form and substance.” He stressed that changing electoral rules just two weeks before the elections would disrupt the electoral climate and violate the principle of fair competition. Mzio called for the proposal to be withdrawn immediately.