Tunisian President Kais Saied Files for Re-Election Amid Limited Opposition

Tunisian President Kais Saied filed papers to run for re-election, facing minimal competition as potential challengers are imprisoned. Saied submitted over 240,000 voter signatures for the October 6 election. Four other candidates, including detained Abir Moussi, also gathered required signatures. Tunisia will announce the final list by August 10.

Tunisian President Kais Saied officially filed paperwork on Monday to seek re-election in the upcoming election, facing minimal opposition due to the imprisonment of key challengers during his first term.

Saied, who previously announced his re-election bid last month, successfully submitted 242,224 signatures from registered voters, well surpassing the 10,000 signature requirement to qualify for the October 6 ballot in the North African country.

Among the four other candidates who gathered signatures is Abir Moussi, a right-wing critic of Saied, currently detained following a protest outside his residence last year. Her legal team filed her paperwork on Sunday.

The Independent High Authority for Elections in Tunisia will publish the comprehensive list of candidates by August 10. Political participation has significantly declined since the 2011 ousting of long-time dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, with local elections last year recording a mere 11% turnout.

(With inputs from agencies.)