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Eight candidates emerge ahead of Tunisia’s presidential election

Nabil Karoui, Tunisian media magnate and would-be presidential candidate submits his candidacy to Tunisia's electoral commission in the capital Tunis on August 2, 2019. - Presidential hopefuls in Tunisia began registering their candidacies today for snap September polls called after the death of 92-year-old leader Beji Caid Essebsi. (Photo by Hasna / AFP) / “The erroneous byline appearing in the metadata of this series of photos showing Tunisian would-be candidates have been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Hasna] instead of [Mohamed Hammi]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.”

Presidential hopefuls in Tunisia began registering their candidacies on Friday for snap September polls called after the death of 92-year-old leader Beji Caid Essebsi.

Eight would-be candidates, including media magnate Nabil Karoui, submitted their papers to the country’s electoral commission.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed has not yet officially registered, although his party said on Wednesday he would stand in the polls. 

Tunisian Prime minister Youssef Chahed (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)

Originally scheduled for November, the vote was brought forward to September 15 following Essebsi’s death in late July.

Karoui was charged with money laundering this month after stating his intention to stand in the polls.

He was nearly removed from the race in June when parliament passed an amended electoral code that would bar any candidate who handed out “favours in cash or in-kind” in the year before the vote.

But Essebsi neither rejected nor enacted the bill, leaving the door open for Karoui to run.

Nabil Karoui, Tunisian media magnate and would-be presidential candidate submits his candidacy to Tunisia’s electoral commission in the capital Tunis on August 2, 2019. (Photo by Hasna / AFP)

The media mogul was an active supporter of Essebsi’s election in 2014 and has become the prime minister’s fiercest rival.

Chahed, who studied agricultural engineering, entered politics after the 2011 uprising which ousted autocratic president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Launched at the start of the year, his Tahia Tounes has become the second-largest party in parliament behind Islamist-inspired Ennahdha.

Mohamed Abbou, Tunisian would-be presidential candidate. (Photo by Hasna / AFP)

Longtime Ben Ali opponent and head of Tunisia’s Democratic Current party Mohamed Abbou also submitted his candidacy on Friday.

He was joined by Abir Moussi, the only woman so far running in the polls.

She heads a party formed from the remnants of Ben Ali’s ruling party and has called for the exclusion of Islamists, including Ennahdha.

Abir Moussi, president of the Free Destourian Party (PDL), Tunisian would-be presidential candidate is pictured after submitting her candidacy to Tunisia’s electoral commission. (Photo by Hasna / AFP)

“Our priority today is to restore order in Tunisia” and the “fundamental principles” championed by its first president Habib Bourguiba, she told AFP after submitting her candidacy.

Presidential hopefuls have until August 9 to register, with the commission set to provide a final list of candidates on August 31.

The campaigns are scheduled to run from September 2 to September 13, with the preliminary results announced two days after the polls.

A date for the second round of presidential elections has not yet been decided, but the electoral commission said it would be held no later than November 3. 

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