Tunisians vote in third presidential election since Arab Spring

Voter apathy has dominated Tunisia’s presidential election, with a turnout of under 30% in the country’s third presidential ballot since becoming the first nation to topple a dictator in last decade’s Arab Spring.

Though results had yet to be announced on Sunday evening, there was little suspense about the result.

Supporters of President Kais Saied gathered in Tunis, waving his portrait after public television released figures from a polling firm showing Mr Saied steamrolling the two little-known opponents approved to run against him with a more than 89% of the votes.

The president’s brother, Naoufel Saied, said after exit polls were released that the result reflected “the high degree of confidence Tunisians have in Kais Saied” and guaranteed the country’s stability.

Official results are not expected until Monday.

Though Mr Saied’s supporters honked and celebrated in Tunis’ main thoroughfares, earlier in the day there were few signs that an election was even under way.

The mood was a pronounced departure from the country’s past two presidential elections – Tunisia’s first contested races in decades.

At the time polling stations closed, only 2.7 million voters – 27.7% of the electorate – had cast ballots. That is far fewer than the 49% who participated in the first round of the last presidential race in 2019.

Mr Saied, a 66-year-old former law professor who rode anger against the North African country’s post-Arab Spring political class to a first term, is expected to easily win the election with his opponents from across the political spectrum languishing in prison.

Dozens of candidates had expressed interest in challenging him and 17 submitted preliminary paperwork to run in Sunday’s race.

However, members of the election commission, all of whom are appointed by the president, approved only three – Mr Saied, businessman Ayachi Zammel and former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui.

Mr Zammel has since been imprisoned and charged with violating election laws and Mr Maghzaoui is a former supporter of the president.

Mr Saied’s first term has been tumultuous. While the economy struggled, he in 2021 invoked emergency powers, suspended Tunisia’s parliament and rewrote the country’s constitution to give the presidency additional powers.

Though it is difficult to gauge the depth of his support, his backers have remained loyal, giving him time to complete his political programme to build a “New Tunisia”.

Much of the opposition chose to boycott the election, calling it a sham due to what they called an “authoritarian drift”.

Some voters in Tunis, however, said it was a duty to participate.

Khaled Lamsi, a 50-year-old taxi driver, called voting “a national obligation”.

“I want the new president who will be elected to do good things for our country and for our children, and their future, and our lives,” he said.

“To not vote is not a solution. On the contrary, the people must come out and vote to show that the Tunisian people participate in these elections and Tunisia can be better over the next five years,” said 39-year-old Alaeddine Jawadi.

Voter turnout was less than 12% in 2022’s parliamentary elections.