Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars

Tunisia's re-election of President Saied sparks fears of further authoritarianism, economic woes, and limited opposition options.

Polls closed Sunday (October 6, 2024) night in Tunisia after voting in a presidential election expected to see incumbent Kais Saied secure another five years in office while his main critics — including one contender — are behind bars.

Three years after Mr. Saied staged a sweeping power grab, rights group fear re-election will only further entrench his rule in the country which became the only democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring uprisings.

With the ouster of longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, Tunisia prided itself on being the birthplace of those regional revolts against authoritarianism.

But the north African country's path changed dramatically soon after Mr. Saied's democratic election in 2019.

The power grab by Mr. Saied, 66, saw him rewrite the constitution and crack down on dissent, sparking criticism at home and abroad.

In a speech on Thursday, Mr. Saied called for a "massive turnout to vote" and usher in what he called an era of "reconstruction".

The Tunisian electoral board, ISIE, has said about 9.7 million people were eligible to vote, in a country whose population is around 12 million.