Tunisian President Kais Saied Announces Bid for Second Term

In Summary

• President Kais Saied announced his candidacy for a second term in the upcoming October 6 elections.
• Opposition claims the government is pressuring the judiciary to target rivals and ensure Saied's re-election.
• On the same day, opposition leader Lotfi Mraihi was sentenced to prison and banned from future elections.
• The opposition demands the release of imprisoned politicians and free media operations to ensure credible elections.

Tunis, Tunisia- Tunisian President Kais Saied declared on Friday his intention to run for another term in the upcoming October 6 elections.

Saied announced his candidacy in a video posted on the presidency's Facebook page, stating that his aim is "to continue the national liberation struggle."

This announcement comes amid accusations from opposition parties that Saied's government is pressuring the judiciary to target his rivals in the 2024 elections, ensuring his path to a second term.

On the same day, a court sentenced opposition leader Lotfi Mraihi, a potential presidential candidate, to eight months in prison on charges of vote buying and banned him from running in presidential elections for life.

Mraihi, leader of the Republican Union Party, is one of Saied's most vocal critics.

Opposition parties argue that fair and credible elections are impossible without the release of imprisoned politicians and the allowance of free press operations without government interference.

Saied, who was elected in 2019, dissolved parliament in 2021 and has been ruling by decree since—a move the opposition describes as a coup. Saied defends his actions as legal and necessary to combat years of rampant corruption among the political elite.