Tunisian President, Kais Saied, has seized control of his country’s electoral commission in a move that solidifies his power at the expense of democracy. The president announced he would retain three members of the nine-member commission to form a new committee alongside three judges and an information technology specialist. The three judges will be appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, which he replaced earlier this year. President Saied also dissolved parliament against the protests of opposing political parties. The president is rewriting the country’s constitution and promises to put it to a referendum vote in July. He claims these moves are legal and necessary to save Tunisia from a crisis, but opponents argue he is instigating a coup.
Rached Ghannouchi, the former parliamentary speaker and leader of the Ennahda Party, warns that “Any elections will lose all credibility with a body appointed by the president.” According to Reuters, Ghannouchi added that the president’s latest decree is “Another attempt to stifle the revolution.” Former commission head Nabil Baffoun agreed Saied’s moves were a setback to the 2011 revolution, which brought about democratic elections in Tunisia. With this decree, he says the electoral body is now “the president’s commission” and will no longer be independent.
President Saied’s actions set a very dangerous precedent. Electoral commissions should not be controlled by the president, nor should the judiciary. Free and independent legislative and judicial branches are essential to a healthy democracy. These decrees are not excused by the looming economic crisis either. Consolidating power will not allow the president to resolve the crisis and may actively impede the free exchange of ideas to deal with economic issues. According to Aljazeera, Western donors are urging President Saied to return to democracy. These donors need to be more forceful in their conversations. Saied is pushing Tunisia towards an authoritarian government, and it is a dangerous, slippery slope.
After Tunisia claimed independence from France in 1956, Habib Bourguiba became the state’s first president. While the economy prospered and social policies were relatively liberal, Bourguiba established himself as an authoritarian. A peaceful coup took place in 1987, and former Prime Minister Ben Ali ascended to the presidency, ruling until 2011. Unemployment and repression fueled a revolution in Tunisia that year, ultimately sparking the Arab Spring. The new political order was more democratic than previous governments, instituting a pluralistic system. After the previous president died, Saied became president in 2019. His presidency has been marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and growing inflation. Last year, he granted himself emergency powers amidst the increasing turmoil.
President Saied’s apparent slide towards dictatorship portends danger for Tunisia’s democracy. For now, the military appears to be behind the president. However, opposition groups will likely push back against his latest decrees, and the risk of violence could increase. If repression continues, there is likely to be serious damage to human rights and political stability in the country.
