Tunisia lawmakers strip court of electoral power days before presidential vote

RFI

28 September 2024 at 6:05 am·1-min read

Tunisia's parliament has approved a law stripping its top court of its authority to rule on electoral disputes, nine days before the presidential election. Opposition groups fear the move is aimed at ensuring President Kais Saied remains in power.

Out of a total 161 lawmakers, 116 voted on Friday to amend the electoral law to strip Tunisia's administrative court of its power to rule on electoral disputes.

It comes just days ahead of presidential polls on 6 October.

Demonstrators gathered outside parliament on Friday to protest the amendment, holding placards saying "Assassination of Democracy" and "Rigged election".

Civil rights activists and opposition parties, including the Free Destourian Party, whose leader Abir Moussi is in jail, called for protests on Saturday.

"We are witnessing the capture of the state days before the vote," political activist Chaima Issa said. "We are at the peak of absurdity and one-man rule."

Tunisia voters give President near unchecked power in low turnout referendum

Court and electoral commission at loggerheads

The draft law removes the power of the administrative court, which is widely seen as Tunisia's last independent judicial body, after Saied dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed dozens of judges in 2022.

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Court and electoral commission at loggerheads

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