Tunisia Election Commission Defies Court Over Candidate Reinstatement

Tunisia's electoral commission defied an administrative court ruling by not reinstating three presidential candidates, leading to concerns about favoritism towards incumbent President Kais Saied. This decision adds to the political crisis that started in 2021 when Saied tightened his control over the government.

In a controversial move, Tunisia's electoral commission has rejected a ruling by the administrative court that reinstated three presidential election candidates, sparking fears of bias in favor of incumbent President Kais Saied.

Despite the court ruling, the commission approved President Saied and two others, Zouhair Magzhaoui and Ayachi Zammel, for the upcoming October 6 contest. The campaign is set to begin on September 14, the commission announced.

This decision threatens the credibility of the impending election and exacerbates the ongoing political crisis, which intensified in 2021 after Saied's consolidation of power, a move the opposition calls a coup.

(With inputs from agencies.)