Few voting in Tunisian parliamentary runoff election amid rise in president’s powers

Only 11 per cent of the electorate took part in the first round of voting for the parliament in December and early turnout figures released by Tunisia’s electoral commission on Sunday show little improvement

Tunisia’s parliamentary runoff election on Sunday looked set to replicate the low turnout of December’s first round, with critics of President Kais Saied saying the near empty polling stations reflect public dismay at his seizure of broad powers.

Polls are open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. . Electoral commission figures indicated 7.7 per cent turnout by 3 p.m., only slightly higher than the 7.2 per cent registered by the same time in December’s vote. “This strikes strongly at the transparency of the election and any numbers provided by the authorities,” said Mourakiboun head Slim Bouzid.

At a cafe in Ettahrir, another Tunis district, only Mongi Layouni, one of seven men sitting drinking coffee, said he might vote. A deepening economic crisis, that has caused shortages of some foods and medicines and led the government to seek an international bailout, has added to widespread disillusionment with politics.

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