Tunisian President Saied announces re-election bid

TUNIS: Tunisian President Kais Saied announced his Saied re-election bid on Friday. He plans to run for another term in the Oct. 6 elections. #SaiedReElectionBid

The candidacy aims “to continue the national liberation struggle,” Saied said in a video on the presidency’s Facebook page.

Opposition parties accuse Saied’s government of pressuring the judiciary to target his rivals for the 2024 elections. They view this move as a tactic to ensure his victory and secure a second term.

The Saied re-election bid was announced on the same day a court jailed opposition leader Lotfi Mraihi. He received an eight-month prison term for vote buying.

The court banned Lotfi Mraihi, a leading critic of President Kais Saied, from running in presidential elections. Mraihi, leader of the Republican Union Party, faces a lifetime ban.

The opposition argues that fair elections are impossible without releasing imprisoned politicians. They also demand media freedom from government pressure.

Saied, who was elected in 2019, dissolved parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree in a move the opposition has described as a coup. #SaiedReElectionBid

The president said his steps were legal and necessary to end years of rampant corruption among the political elite.

The announcement coincides with growing concerns from opposition parties about the political climate. Many leaders of opposition parties remain in prison, raising doubts about the government’s commitment to a fair electoral process.

Furthermore, opposition figures have called for the release of imprisoned politicians and an end to government pressure on the media.

Consequently, as Saied pushes forward with his re-election bid, the international community will be closely watching Tunisia’s political developments.