Tunisia court allows former minister Znaidi to run for president

Decision could reconstruct momentum to contention for October election, toughening the contention for President Kais Saied.

A tribunal successful Tunisia has upheld an entreaty by erstwhile curate Mondher Znaidi, allowing him to basal successful the October 6 statesmanlike election.

The Tunisian Administrative Court said connected Thursday that it had decided to judge Znaidi’s appeal, overturning the determination of the Independent Higher Election Authority (ISIE), which had barred the person from lasting owing to insufficient ballot signatures.

The determination adds Znaidi to a database of legally accepted absorption candidates that besides includes Abdelattif Mekki, Ayachi Zammel and Zouhair Maghzaoui. The tribunal had returned Mekki to the contention connected Tuesday, his candidacy having besides been rejected by the ISIE.

The ISIE, which barred 14 radical from lasting for president, is expected to denote a last database of candidates adjacent week.

The court’s determination to let Znaidi to tally could reconstruct momentum to the predetermination race, toughening the contention for President Kais Saied.

Saied was democratically elected successful 2019 but orchestrated a sweeping powerfulness drawback successful 2021 and is present seeking a 2nd statesmanlike term. A fig of his governmental opponents and critics are presently successful jailhouse oregon are being prosecuted.

Znaidi has held galore authorities jobs, including the curate of nationalist health, transport and commerce and caput of authorities for commercialized and industry.

He served under President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted successful the 2011 uprisings. Znaidi has presented his acquisition arsenic an plus for debt-stricken Tunisia. He is said to beryllium counting connected those angry with Saied’s regularisation implicit the past 5 years to triumph votes.

Experts see him a important contender with an quality to triumph votes from the main absorption parties, including Ennahdha, which was the largest enactment successful Tunisia’s parliament earlier Saied dissolved the enclosure successful July 2021.

‘Arbitrary restrictions’

Saied said past twelvemonth that helium “would not manus implicit the state to nonpatriots”.

Tunisian absorption parties, politicians and quality rights groups person accused the president of utilizing “arbitrary restrictions” and intimidation to assistance guarantee his re-election.

They person said the electoral committee is not neutral and is seeking to destruct each superior competitors to pave the mode for the incumbent’s victory. The committee has denied the accusations.

Last week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tunisian authorities “have prosecuted, convicted oregon imprisoned astatine slightest 8 prospective candidates” for October’s vote.

The North African state nether Saied was “gearing up for a statesmanlike predetermination amid accrued repression of dissent and escaped code without important checks and balances” connected the president’s power, HRW added.

On Thursday, the Administrative Court besides said it rejected an entreaty by Abir Moussi, a jailed would-be campaigner and a staunch professional of Saied.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies