Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Less than 9% of voters turn out for Tunisia election

Less than 9% of voters turn out for Tunisia election

The majority of political parties boycotted Saturday's poll 12 years to the day that a protest in the country sparked the Arab Spring.

Just 8.8% of Tunisia's voters took part in elections on Saturday amid ongoing anger at President Kais Saied.

Mr Saied, who won power in 2019, has come in for criticism after shutting down the previous parliament last year and changing the constitution so he can rule by decree.

He claims the moves will save Tunisia from political paralysis and help him tackle economic issues.

But opposition parties boycotted the ballot, having accused the president of a coup after diminishing their role in democracy.

They demanded he step down, with some calling on the public to protest against his rule, but there is fragmentation among the parties, making it harder for them to organise.

Saturday's ballot came 12 years to the day after street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in an act of protest, sparking the Arab Spring and bringing democracy to Tunisia.

But the actions of Mr Saied and the lack of cohesive opposition have cast a shadow of doubt over the system in place.



One man, Abdl Hamid Naji, who was sat next to a polling station on Saturday, said: "Why should I vote? I am not convinced by this election.

"In the previous elections, I was the first to arrive... but now I'm not interested."

'Modest, but not shameful'


According to reporters on the ground, the focus of the public is on the economy - which shrank more than 8% during the COVID pandemic and has seen a very slow recovery.

Some basic foodstuffs and medicines are no longer available, and more people are attempting dangerous Mediterranean
crossings to try and start again in Europe.

The head of Tunisia's electoral commission, Farouk Bouasker, described Saturday's turnout as "modest but not shameful", blaming a new voting system and a lack of paid election campaigning.

Mohammed Bouazizi is depicted on the facade of the post office building in Sidi Bouzid


I Watch, a non-governmental watchdog organisation formed after the 2011 revolution, blamed the new parliament, which it said had been "emptied of all powers".

Due to the boycott by the main opposition parties, a total of 1,058 candidates, only 120 of them women, were running for 161 seats.

For 10 of those seats there was just one candidate.

And a further seven decided by expatriate voters had no candidates running at all.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×