TUNIS, Tunisia: On Monday, Tunisian police arrested presidential candidate Ayachi Zammel, according to a statement from his campaign.
The arrest, which occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m., is reportedly linked to allegations of falsifying popular endorsements. Zammel’s campaign has condemned the arrest as an “absurd” attempt to exclude him from the upcoming presidential race.
This development comes as Tunisia’s electoral commission prepares to finalize the list of candidates for the presidential elections scheduled for October 6.
The commission’s delay in announcing the final list has fueled concerns among rights groups and opposition members that prominent rivals to President Kais Saied might be excluded.
Last week, the Administrative Court, Tunisia’s highest judicial authority for electoral disputes, overturned the electoral commission’s decision to reject three notable candidates: Mondher Znaidi, AbdelLatif Mekki, and Imed Daimi. Their reinstatement was seen as a victory for opposition forces, who fear that the commission’s head, Farouk Bouasker, might use the commission’s review of judicial decisions to undermine their candidacies.
The electoral commission’s stance has provoked significant anger and suspicion. Critics argue that the commission is biased and aimed at securing an easy victory for Saied, who has been in power since a controversial move in 2021 where he dissolved parliament and assumed control of all government powers, a move widely criticized as a coup.
In response to the unfolding crisis, political parties and human rights organizations have called for a protest near the election headquarters. They demand that the election commission adhere to the Administrative Court’s ruling and halt what they describe as “arbitrary restrictions” and intimidation tactics.
Legal experts have stressed that the electoral commission must respect the court’s decision to ensure the credibility of the election. Failure to do so could further erode public trust in Tunisia’s democratic processes and electoral integrity.
