Tunisian President Kais Saied faces little opposition in Sunday’s Re-election, raising concerns about democratic backsliding.
Tunisian President Kais Saied is almost definitely going to win again on Sunday, thanks to the jailing or disqualification of his main rivals.
This election, which is the third since the 2011 Arab Spring, is a big change from the free and fair ones before.
People from other countries are worried about how fair this year’s election will be, pointing out a lot of arrests of people who disagree and a controversial law about fake news that’s stopping people from speaking out.
The other political parties have decided not to take part, saying it’s all a fake.
Saied got into power in 2019 because people were fed up with the usual stuff and didn’t like the economy.
But since then, he’s been getting more power by declaring a state of emergency in 2021, changing the constitution and cracking down hard on anyone who doesn’t agree with him.
This has turned Tunisia’s new democracy into something different from what it was before. The story of Tunisia is a success story after the Arab Spring is now looking more like a story of it sliding backwards.
Tunisia votes Sunday in its third presidential election since the Arab Spring https://t.co/96QvaEDd9k
— WRAL NEWS in NC (@WRAL) October 4, 2024
Even though Saied still has a lot of supporters, it’s hard to say how popular he really is because the opposition is being shut down and not many people are voting.
His plans for the economy haven’t really helped with the big problem of not having enough jobs, especially for young people, and the country’s debt is just getting bigger.
Talks about getting help from the IMF have hit a dead end because Saied doesn’t want to make the tough changes they’re asking for.
The money problems have made Tunisia’s issue with people moving around even worse. Saied’s government has been really tough on migrants, leading to violence and a big crisis in the sea.
At the same time, Saied is trying to get along with countries like Iran and China while still keeping up with the usual friends from the West, making things complicated.
His hardline approach to making peace with Israel is still popular with some people.
So, this election is really about what’s going to happen to Tunisia’s democracy and its shaky economy.
Saied winning is expected, but it shows how much democracy is being pushed aside and the big problems Tunisia is facing.
