Summary:

On 2 September 2024, the High Authority for Elections (ISIE) overruled the Administrative Court’s ruling that three additional presidential candidates should be approved to run, narrowing the official field of candidates back to three after the court had widened it to six.                     

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Days prior, on 29 August 2024, the head of the ISIE, Farouk Bouasker, said that the ISIE is the only constitutional body entrusted with ensuring the integrity of elections and issuing the final list of candidates.  

This statement came after the Administrative Court reviewed the candidacies refused by ISIE and judged that three other candidates should be added to the first list.  

These contenders include: 

• Abdellatif Mekki, former Minister of Health and member of Islamist Ennahda party. 

• Imed Daimi former Secretary General of the congress for the Republic party and advisor to former President Moncef Marzouki. 

• Mondher Znaidi who served in numerous governmental positions under President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, including the minister of transport, health and commerce. 

Farouk Bouasker’s assertions led the head of the Union of Administrative Judges to declare that the final word should be left to the Administrative Court to approve the list of candidates having appropriate documents to participate in the election. 

Nevertheless, this did not prevent ISIE from publishing the final list on 2 September including only the three contenders it previously approved, President Kais Saied, Ayachi Zammel and Zouhaier Maghzaoui. 

Outlook: 

ISIE’s choice to ignore the Administrative Court sparked controversy among Tunisia observers and commentators, some of whom have asserted that the ISIE’s decision has sparked a constitutional crisis regarding authority over elections.  

Protesters gathered in front of the ISIE’s office in Tunis calling for respect of the rule of law and for the adoption of the list approved by the Administrative Court. 

Other protests are expected as the election approaches and criticism of the ISIE continues to grow with some critics concerned that the body is excluding potential challengers who could compete with the sitting President Saied. 

The current situation indicates greater political risk if the current President is going to be re-elected with a weak political legitimacy after an election that will be seen as manipulated with the exclusion of strong challengers. 

Meanwhile, the controversial decisions by the ISIE risk continuing to erode the credibility of state institutions in Tunisia which are already distrusted by Tunisian citizens and international audiences. 

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