Over 100 civil society activists, politicians and public figures call for electoral process to be kept unchanged

Tunis: Over 100 civil society activists, politicians and public figures signed a joint statement on Sunday, in which they called for "the electoral process to not be altered by adding new standards modifying the conditions for candidacy". The signatories stressed the need to refrain from making any changes to the electoral law and to the conditions for standing as a candidate in the forthcoming presidential election, with the exception of age and nationality requirements, indicating that any changes made by the Independent High Authority for Elections (French: ISIE) to this end will undermine its credibility. The signatories also called for not depriving, under any pretext, candidates who have not been definitively convicted of their right to run for the presidency. They further urged for the setting up of the Constitutional Court and the judicial, administrative and financial order, as well as the withdrawal of Decree-Law 35, which allows the President of the Republic to dismiss judges without consulting the relevant judicial authorities. Decree-law no. 54 must also be annulled and platforms of TV and radio institutions must be made open to both supporters of the "process" and its opponents, in particular the presidential candidates, they added. The joint statement was inked by 102 civil society activists, politicians and public figures, including professor Sadok Belaid, former minister and human rights activist Kamel Jendoubi, Coalition Soumoud General Coordinaor Houcem El Hami, former minister Faouzi Abderrahman, former MP Mustapha Ben Ahmed, and academic Youssef Seddik. The presidential election are expected to be held in Q4 of 2024. The 2022 Constitution stipulates that the presidential election should be held during the last three months of the Presidential term. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse