Tunisians have again taken to the streets to protest against President Kais Saied, who they have accused of using his authority to suppress the political opposition ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
Reports say the protesters have been marching for a second week on Tunis’ main avenue, chanting slogans of the 2011 “Arab Spring” revolution and expressing their discontent with the current regime.
Undeterred by the heavy police presence, the protesters took to the streets in response to a proposed bill that would abate the authority of the administrative court in dealing with electoral disputes. They expressed worry about the fairness of the election and the possibility of President Saied winning a second term.
Tensions heightened when the electoral commission disqualified three prominent presidential candidates. This made critics accuse Saied of exploiting the electoral process to ensure his victory in the presidential elections.
“Most of the young people who voted for Kais Saied in 2019 are extremely disappointed by now,” one protester said. “They elected a man who said that he believed in the youth, but he ultimately puts the youth in prison.”
President Saied, who won the election in 2019 through a democratic process, has been criticised for centralising his authority and issuing decrees to govern, actions that the opposition has denounced as a coup.