Tunisians have voted in favour of a new constitution that critics fear could entrench efforts by the president to consolidate power, according to official preliminary results late Tuesday.
Initial results announced by Tunisia's electoral commission said 94.6% of the votes backed the new charter, with 5.4% against. Turnout for Monday's referendum was low, with just over a fourth of the nation's voters taking part.
Critics warn that Saied's new structure could pave the way to a new autocracy in the country that rose up against strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 and kicked off the Arab Spring pro-democracy protests. Tunisia is the only nation to emerge with a democracy from those protests. Many believe the new constitution will put an end to years of political deadlock and reduce the political influence of Tunisia's largest party, Ennahdha, an Islamist party unpopular with many Tunisians.
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