Tunisia: Limited Turnout at Polling Stations Amid Expectations of Saied's Victory

Tunisia: Limited Turnout at Polling Stations Amid Expectations of Saied's Victory
Kais Saied's lead in early indicators suggests continued support from a segment of the Tunisian people for his political approach, despite controversy surrounding his performance during his previous t
October 6, 2024, 11:47 pm

تونس \ تعبيرية \ متداولة

Early indicators of the Tunisian presidential election results, which took place on Sunday, revealed a clear advantage for candidate Kais Saied over his competitors, Zuhair Maghzawi, head of the People's Movement, and the detained businessman Ayachi Zammel, as he appears to have garnered the majority of voters' votes.

Following the closure of polling stations, vote counting operations began under the direct supervision of officials from the Independent High Authority for Elections, with the presence of local and international observers. Initial results are expected to start appearing during Sunday/Monday night.

While awaiting the official announcement of the preliminary election results, scheduled for next Tuesday by the Independent High Authority for Elections, the identity of the candidate with the highest number of votes is beginning to become clear, as well as the possibility of going to a second round.

Preliminary voting estimates, disclosed at some polling stations after the vote counting process, indicated a significant lead for President Kais Saied and his obtaining the support of the majority of participating voters.

In a press conference held by the head of the election authority, Farouk Bouasker, he stated that the number of participants in the voting process reached 2,704,155 voters inside and outside Tunisia, recording an initial turnout rate of 27.7 percent. Bouasker added that the electoral process proceeded smoothly without complications or violations rising to the level of electoral crime.

Three candidates competed in this presidential election: current President Kais Saied (66 years old), Zuhair Maghzawi (59 years old) head of the People's Movement, in addition to Ayachi Zammel, a 47-year-old businessman and engineer who is currently in prison on charges related to "forging" voter endorsements.

It's worth noting that the relatively low turnout rate may raise questions about the extent to which the results of these elections represent the will of the entire Tunisian people, and may reflect a state of political apathy or dissatisfaction with the available choices among a wide segment of voters.

Levant-Agencies

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