Tunisian President Kais Saied submitted his candidacy file for the presidential elections scheduled for October 6th on Monday, amid severe criticism concerning the "oppression" of competing candidates. Saied (66 years old), speaking in front of the headquarters of the High Independent Authority for Elections where he submitted his file, stated, "It is a war of liberation, self-determination, and a revolution until victory within the framework of popular legitimacy, and we will prevail in establishing a new republic." He added, "We will not accept any foreign entity interfering in the choices of our people."
Saied collected over 242,000 endorsements for his file. Experts believe the path to the presidential elections is filled with obstacles for potential competitors against the president, who was elected democratically in 2019 and has held absolute power for the past three years while seeking a second term. They point out that the criteria for candidacies are strict, requiring endorsements from ten parliament members or 40 elected local officials, or 10,000 voters, with at least 500 endorsements needed from each electoral district, a task that is difficult to achieve, according to experts.
In response to criticisms of oppressing candidates and their inability to gather endorsement signatures, the Tunisian president said, "I did not restrict anyone; the law is applied equally to all, and I am here as a citizen to apply for candidacy." He continued, "Those who speak of oppression are delusional."
On Saturday, the opposition and suspended "Free Constitutional Party" leader Abir Moussi submitted her candidacy through campaign members. She faces serious charges, including "deliberate assault aimed at altering the state’s mechanisms." Several opposing figures are imprisoned, such as Issam Chebbi and Ghazi Chaouachi, who are accused of conspiring against state security. They announced their intention to run for the presidency but withdrew due to not being allowed to appoint a personal representative to submit their candidacy file.
On Wednesday, 11 individuals wishing to participate in the elections, including media figure Nizar Al-Shari and retired army admiral Kamal Al-Akrout and former minister Abdellatif Mekki, issued a statement denouncing obstacles to their candidacy. Last week, four women from the campaign of rapper Karim Al-Gharbi, also known as "Khadourim," who is aspiring to run, were sentenced to prison for two to four years for obtaining endorsements for a fee. Three members of Al-Shari's campaign were also detained for the same charge, which Al-Shari firmly denied.
Commenting on the detention and prosecution of journalists, media figures, and activists under Decree 54, enacted to combat "fake news" in September 2022, Saied said, "We are in a liberation war for freedom, and we do not want to restrict freedoms for anyone but within the framework of the law. I have not interfered in the judiciary."
