Despite the low attendance, the president of the electoral authority defended the election by asserting that there was no political funding or vote buying (the lowest in any poll since the revolution in 2011).
“From my point of view, the reason is clear. It is a change in the polling system and the lack of political funding for electoral campaigns. Because for the first time, and we say it is taking our responsibilities, for the first time, there have been clean elections and a clean electoral campaign, free from political funding that was the reason behind buying votes – let us be clear and frank – so for the first time the Tunisian elections were pure”, as stated by ISIE president Farouk Bouasker of Tunisia.
For fear of becoming complicit in a “coup” against democracy, opposition groups called for a poll boycott.
The leading opposition coalition demanded that the president convene a meeting of all major parties.
“It (electoral commission, Ed.) says the turnout is 8.8%. We say it is an earthquake of 8.8 on the Richter scale. We ask those who run (the country) illegally and without any legitimacy to leave”, Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, leader of the National Salvation Front, stated.
About a year and a half had passed since Saied used military vehicles to suspend parliament due to months of political impasse before the election took place.
In July, with the help of a referendum, President Kais Saied pushed through a new constitution that severely limited the role of parliament.
The preliminary findings are anticipated to be released on Monday.