Tunisia constitutional referendum marked by low turnout as opposition boycotts

Issued on: 26/07/2022 – 03:52Modified: 26/07/2022 – 03:54

President Kais Saied ousted the parliament final 12 months and moved to rule by decree, saying the nation wanted saving from years of paralysis as he rewrote the democratic structure launched after Tunisia’s 2011 ‘Arab spring’ revolution.

Opposition events boycotted the referendum, accusing Saied of a coup and saying the brand new structure he revealed lower than a month in the past augurs a slide again in the direction of autocracy.

The brand new structure provides the president energy over each the federal government and judiciary whereas eradicating checks on his authority and weakening the parliament.

Tunisia in the meantime faces a looming financial disaster and is looking for an Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) rescue bundle – points which have preoccupied extraordinary folks much more over the previous 12 months than the political disaster.

There was no minimal stage of participation for the measure to go and the electoral fee put preliminary turnout at solely 27.5%.

Quickly after an exit ballot was revealed by Sigma Conseil indicating a ‘sure’ vote of 92.3%, a whole lot of Saied supporters flocked to the central Habib Bourguiba Avenue to have a good time.

“Sovereignty is for the folks”, “The folks need to purify the nation” they chanted, dismissing considerations over a return to autocracy.

“We’re not afraid of something. Solely the corrupt and the officers who looted the state will likely be afraid,” stated Noura bin Ayad, a 46-year-old girl carrying a Tunisian flag.

Saied’s preliminary strikes towards the parliament final 12 months appeared massively widespread with Tunisians, as 1000’s flooded the streets to help him, venting fury on the political events they blamed for years of misgovernance and decline.

Nevertheless, as Tunisia’s financial system worsened over the previous 12 months with little intervention by Saied, his help appeared to wane.

“Now that we have now given him a brand new political mandate to confront the political lobbies we ask Saied to deal with our financial scenario, costs and meals provision,” stated Naceur, one in all his supporters out celebrating on Monday.

Questioning integrity

An opposition coalition together with the Islamist Ennahda, the most important celebration within the dissolved parliament, stated Saied had “miserably didn’t safe widespread backing for his coup” and urged him to resign.

The low turnout fee isn’t simply similar to earlier elections as a result of Tunisia now routinely registers voters.  The earlier lowest participation fee was 41% in 2019 for the parliament that Saied has dissolved.

The president’s opponents have additionally questioned the integrity of a vote carried out by an electoral fee whose board Saied changed this 12 months, and with fewer impartial observers than for earlier Tunisian elections.

Casting his personal vote on Monday, Saied hailed the referendum as the muse of a brand new republic.

Western democracies that regarded to Tunisia as the one success story of the Arab Spring have but to touch upon the proposed new structure, though they’ve urged Tunis over the previous 12 months to return to the democratic path.

“I’m annoyed by all of them. I’d somewhat take pleasure in this sizzling day than go and vote,” stated Samia, a girl sitting together with her husband and teenage son on the seaside at La Marsa close to Tunis, talking about Tunisian politicians.

Standing exterior a restaurant within the capital, Samir Slimane stated he was not concerned about voting.

“I’ve no hope of change. Kais Saied is not going to change something. He solely seeks to have all of the powers,” he stated.

Financial decline since 2011 has left many Tunisians indignant on the events which have ruled for the reason that revolution and disillusioned with the political system they ran.

To deal with financial privations, the federal government hopes to safe a $4 billion mortgage from the IMF, however faces stiff union opposition to the required reforms, together with cuts to gasoline and meals subsidies.

(REUTERS)