In Tunisia, the kick-off for the submission of candidacies for the presidential election of October 6 begins this Monday, July 29 and should last until August 6. As of Friday, July 26, there were 97 declared candidates who had withdrawn their form to collect sponsorships, one of the conditions of candidacy. The current president Kaïs Saïed is seeking a new term, while some political opponents in prison are struggling to receive the documents necessary to run.
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With our correspondent in Tunis, Lilia Blaise
There Tunisia has nearly a hundred candidates for the presidential election which will take place on October 6. During the next two weeks, most of them will parade at the headquarters of the electoral body (the ISIE) to submit their candidacy for the presidency of the Republic.
Besides the outgoing president Kais Saieddifferent profiles present themselves. Among them, a rapper known as K2RYM, real name Karim Gharbi, ex-son-in-law of the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Aliwho died in 2019, a director and actor, a cardiologist, and members of political parties.
Some candidates rejected from the outset
Among the political opponents who have struggled in recent days to complete the procedures to run, some have had to abandon their candidacy, such as Issam Chebbi, secretary general of the Al Joumhouri party, who has been in prison since February 2023 in connection with a case of conspiracy against state security. Unable to obtain a form to collect the necessary 10,000 sponsorships, he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.
Another potential candidate and opponent, politician Lotfi Mraihi, was sentenced on July 18 to eight months in prison for electoral fraud during the 2019 presidential election. He is subject to a lifetime ban from running in future elections.
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