Hundreds of Tunisians took to the streets on Sunday, voicing their anger against President Kais Saied, whom they accuse of increasing authoritarianism and suppressing political competition just two weeks before a crucial presidential election.
Under heavy police presence, the protesters marched for the second consecutive week along Tunis’ main avenue, a symbolic site of the 2011 Arab Spring revolution. Chanting slogans like “The people want the fall of the regime” and “Out with dictator Saied,” demonstrators expressed their discontent with Saied’s administration.
The protest followed a controversial bill proposed by lawmakers aimed at stripping the administrative court of its authority to oversee electoral disputes. The opposition claims that this move would delegitimize the upcoming October 6 election and allow Saied to easily secure a second term in office.
“Saied’s actions show that he fears losing the election because he is no longer popular,” said Nabil Hajji, leader of the opposition Attayar party. “The streets are now the only option left for Tunisians to defend our democracy,” he added.
Political tensions have been mounting in Tunisia, particularly after the Saied-appointed electoral commission disqualified three prominent presidential candidates, Mondher Znaidi, Abdellatif Mekki, and Imed Daimi. Ignoring a ruling from the administrative court, the commission allowed only two candidates to run against Saied. One of them, Ayachi Zammel, was recently sentenced to 20 months in prison for falsifying signatures on election documents, a charge he claims is politically motivated.
Critics accuse Saied of manipulating the judiciary and electoral commission to eliminate competition and ensure his victory. Saied, who was democratically elected in 2019, denies these allegations, claiming he is combating corruption and treachery. His rule by decree since 2021 has been labeled a coup by the opposition.
