Headlines Tunisia

Tunisia: Presidential candidate Zouheir Maghzaoui criticizes Electoral Body

Presidential candidate Zouheir Maghzaoui has criticized the Independent High Electoral Body for its “silence” regarding irregularities in the electoral process. At a press conference in Tunis on Wednesday, August 28, Maghzaoui, Secretary General of the “Echaab” Movement, claimed that the electoral process has been compromised by various issues, including administrative bias and unfair treatment by […]

Headlines Tunisia

Tunisian justice surprisingly validates candidacy of opponent Abdellatif Mekki

With just 40 days remaining before the presidential election in Tunisia and mounting concerns over the political climate in recent months as many of President Kaïs Saïed’s opponents were detained and numerous presidential candidacies invalidated, the Tunisian Administrative court made on Tuesday a surprising decision by validating the candidacy of Abdellatif Mekki, a prominent opponent […]

Features Headlines Tunisia

Tunisia: Kaïs Saïed carries out again a wide-ranging ministerial reshuffle

On Sunday, August 25, 2024, the President of Tunisia executed a significant reshuffle of his Government, appointing 22 new ministers and Secretaries of State, as announced on the Presidency’s official page. President Kaïs Saïed, who has been in office since 2019, removed 19 ministers—including those responsible for Foreign Affairs and Defense—without providing any official reasons. […]

Headlines Tunisia

Tunisia: Former presidential candidate Safi Saïd released after one day in prison

On August 22, the Tunisian judiciary ordered the release of opposition politician Safi Saïd. Saïd, a former candidate in the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections who withdrew from this year’s race, had been arrested on August 20 for “illegally crossing the border into Algeria.” The 70-year-old writer and critic of the current Tunisian president was […]

Headlines Tunisia

Tunisia: HRW calls for ending politically-motivated prosecutions & for free & fair election

Human Rights Watch has called on Tunisian authorities to end urgently politically-motivated prosecutions and to allow for free and fair elections during the upcoming presidential vote set for Oct.06, 2024. In a press release issued Tuesday, the NGO said as the country is gearing up for a presidential election, the authorities increased repression of dissent […]

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On the footsteps of Algeria, Tunisia stages a ‘one-man show’ election

Since the advent of the Tebboune/Chengriha duo, Algeria had only a sole diplomatic success: vassalizing Tunisia and molding it into its own image of an autocracy with a one-man show election. Tunisia’s strong man kais Saied has reduced Tunisia into a vassal state acting on orders from Algiers. His regime has even allowed Algerian agents […]

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Is Tunisia seeking rapprochement with Morocco?

Relations between Morocco and Tunisia have worsened after a provocative act by Kais Saied regarding Rabat’s sovereignty over the Sahara territory in summer 2022. But in recent weeks, several indicators point to a possible improvement in bilateral ties. Authoritarian president Saied has ended Tunisia’s neutrality on the Sahara issue when he offered the leader of […]

Headlines Tunisia

Tunisian rapper, potential presidential candidate sentenced to prison

Kais Saied’s Tunisia is continuing to use the judiciary and bogus charges to prevent his political opponents from entering the presidential electoral race. The latest challenger to be eliminated is Tunisian rapper and businessman Karim Gharbi, aka K2Rhym. He was sentenced on Wednesday August 14 to a four-year imprisonment in absentia for buying sponsorships to […]

Headlines Tunisia

Tunisia: Kais Saied to run for elections against only two contenders

The Tunisian electoral commission has only accepted bids by three candidates, including incumbent president Kais Saied, who is accused by his opponents of using the judiciary to eliminate his political opponents using bogus charges. The electoral commission has accepted bids by Ayachi Zammel and Zouhair Magzhaoui, who are believed to be allies of Kais Saied, […]

Columns Headlines Tunisia

Tunisian autocrat puts potential rivals in jail ahead of presidential elections

Tunisia’s authoritarian leader kais Saied is paving the way for his re-election by sending his rivals to jail under bogus charges. The manipulation of the judiciary is the most recent episode in a process of power consolidation by Saied who has destroyed the country’s checks and balances, gearing Tunisia to its pre-Arab Spring authoritarianism. On […]