An administrative court has rejected ISIE’s decision to ban former minister Mondher Znaidi from the presidential election of October 6. This ruling came after Znaidi filed an appeal against the borderline disqualification he received because the voters did not provide a sufficient number of ballot signatures.
By this decision, Znaidi joins Abdelattif Mekki, Ayachi Zammel, and Zouhair Maghzaoui on the list of other opposition candidates approved. The ISIE had previously refused to register 14 candidates, and the final list has yet to be released.
Znaidi’s candidacy might energize the electoral competition against incumbent President Kais Saied. Since the July 2021 coup, Saied has been accused of concentration of power. Some opponents continue to be detained or prosecuted today.
Znaidi, who has served the government in various capacities, intends to appeal to the populace frustrated with Saied’s leadership. He is recognized as a viable candidate who could pull votes from the other bigger opposition parties, especially Ennahdha.
Some critics have claimed Saied is using intimidation on his opponents to secure re-election, arguing that the electoral commission is partial. In a recent publication by Human Rights, it was reported that several of the would-be candidates had been threatened with legal consequences prior to the elections.
