Tunisia electoral body rejects reinstatement of candidates in presidential race

Tunisia's electoral commission rejected on Monday an administrative court ruling reinstating three presidential election candidates, reinforcing opposition fears that the commission sought to favour incumbent leader Kais Saied.

Defying the highest judicial body, the commission approved only the candidacies of President Saied and two others, Zouhair Magzhaoui and Ayachi Zammel, for the Oct. 6 contest. The electoral campaign will start on Sept. 14, the commission said.

The decision could shake the credibility of the vote and will deepen a political crisis that has been escalating since 2021, when Saied tightened his grip on all powers and began ruling by decree in a move the opposition describes as a coup.

Last week, the administrative court, the highest judicial body that adjudicates electoral disputes, reinstated three prominent candidates, Mondher Znaidi, AbdelLatif Mekki and Imed Daimi, to the election race after the electoral commission had rejected their candidacy filing.

Tunisian constitutional law professors have said the election commission must implement the administrative court’s decision as is, or the elections will completely lose credibility.