Kais Saied reelected President of Tunisia for a second five year term
Appointment
4 min read
Tunisian President Kais Saied has been reelected for the second time for a five-year term. The Independent High Authority for Elections of Tunisia (ISIE) announced the election result on 7 October 2024, with President Saied securing 90.7 per cent of the votes polled. The election to elect a new President was held on 6 October 2024.
Low Voter Turnout at the Presidential Poll
The Presidential election was marked by a very low voter turnout of 28.8 per cent. This was the lowest voter turnout in an election since the Jasmine Revolution of 2011, which overthrew the dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's government and introduced democracy.
In the 2019 Presidential election, which Kais Saied won, the voter turnout was 55 per cent.
However, President Kais Saied, who came to power in 2019, has been accused by critics of being dictatorial and reversing the gains of the Jasmine Revolution.
He has imprisoned senior figures from the biggest opposition parties, and they were largely absent from the recent Presidential election.
The prominent opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist-inspired opposition party Ennahda, and Abir Moussi, head of the Free Constitutional Party, have been imprisoned by President Kais Saied regime.
In the recent Presidential election, two other candidates were Chaab Party leader Zouhair Maghzaoui and businessman Ayachi Zammel.
Ayachi Zammel, who was considered a serious rival, was sentenced to 12 years in prison just before the polling.
About Tunisia
Tunisia is an African country with Arabian civilisation roots. It is part of the Maghreb region of North Africa and gained its independence from France in 1956.
After independence, one-party rule was established under the leadership of the country's first President, Habib Bourguiba.
The country's lack of democracy and rising unemployment led to a popular uprising against long-term President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
The popular uprising, popularly known as the Jasmine Revolution, led to the establishment of democracy in the country. However, President Kais Saied amended the 2014 constitution in 2022 through a referendum.
The new constitution provides a strong presidential system with weak legislative and judicial bodies.
The people elect the President for a five-year term. The all-powerful President appoints the Prime Minister and the council of ministers.
Capital of Tunisia: Tunis
Currency: Dinar
President: Kais Saied
