A former minister in Tunisia, Mondher Zenaidi, had his appeal accepted by a Tunisian court on Thursday which allows him to stand in the October 6 election after his initial bid for the presidency was rejected.
The rejection was due to insufficient ballot signatures by the High Independent Authority for Elections (ISIE), which barred Zenaidi and 13 other candidates.
The court’s spokesperson, Faycel Bouguerra, informed AFP that the administrative court has overturned the ISIE’s decision and accepted Zenaidi’s appeal. The ISIE is yet to confirm whether Zenaidi will indeed stand for elections, as the final list of candidates is set to be announced next week.
Another rejected candidate, Abdellatif Mekki, also a former minister, had his appeal granted by the administrative court earlier this week. Currently, the ISIE has approved three candidates, including former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui and businessman Ayachi Zammel, as challengers to the incumbent President Kais Saied.
Zenaidi, a former minister under ex-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, is positioning his experience as valuable for Tunisia, a country facing economic challenges. Many experts view him as a significant contender capable of challenging Saied and securing votes from major opposition parties, such as the Ennahdha party.
Saied, who won the 2019 democratic elections but later consolidated power in 2021, is seeking a second presidential term. Several of his political opponents and critics are currently either in jail or facing legal prosecution.
The administrative court also announced that it rejected an appeal by Abir Moussi, a jailed would-be candidate and vocal critic of Saied.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised Tunisian authorities for prosecuting, convicting, or imprisoning at least eight prospective candidates for the upcoming election. HRW also pointed out increased repression of dissent and free speech in Tunisia under Saied’s leadership, emphasising the absence of crucial checks and balances on his power.