By Oyintari Ben
After less than 9% of eligible voters participated in the country’s legislative elections, Tunisia’s largest opposition alliance demanded that President Kais Saied step down.
Nejib Chebbi, the leader of the National Salvation Front, called Saturday’s election a “fiasco” and called for large-scale demonstrations to demand immediate presidential elections.
The majority of opposing parties abstained from the voting.
They criticize Mr. Saied with rolling back the democratic gains gained since the 2011 revolt, which he vigorously refutes.
After ousting the prime minister and suspending the legislature in July 2021, Mr. Saied pushed through a constitution establishing his one-man rule a year later following a vote that the major opposition parties likewise boycotted.
A previous constitution that had been written soon after Tunisia’s fall of late dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 was replaced with the new one. It granted the head of state complete executive authority as well as overall military command.
According to Mr. Saied, 64, such authority was required to end a cycle of political gridlock and economic decline.
His supporters concur, arguing that the impoverished country of North Africa requires a strong leader to address corruption and other pressing concerns that obstruct the nation’s progress.
8.8% of Tunisia’s approximately nine million-strong electorate had cast a ballot in the country’s parliamentary elections, according to election officials late on Saturday.
Shortly after, Mr. Chebbi stated: “What happened today is an earthquake. We now consider Saied to be an invalid president and demand that he step down as a result of this catastrophe.”
Mass demonstrations and sit-ins were also encouraged by the National Salvation Front, a combination of many political groups.
President Saied has not yet responded to the matter publicly.
The Arab Spring uprisings in the area are sometimes hailed as the only triumph, yet the upheaval in Tunisia 11 years ago did not bring about political or economic stability.
