Run-off local elections have failed to arouse media interest (Ofiya)

The run-off local elections "failed to arouse the interest of the media and internet users," as the first round had done, said Director of Programmes at the Ofiya Coalition for Democracy and Electoral Integrity Brahim Zoghlami. Speaking at a press conference held in Tunis on Tuesday, Zoghlami presented the report on media and social network monitoring during the run-off local elections. Unlike previous elections, the number of publications and reactions on social networks regarding the run-off elections is "very poor," he estimated. The local elections, the first of their kind in Tunisia, the official underlined, do not stem from a debate between the main components of the national political scene, which explains the low level of virtual interaction recorded. He added that Decree-Law No. 2022-54 on combating offences against information and communication systems is one of the factors behind the reluctance of citizens to publish content about the local elections. Brahim Zoghlami also pointed out that the legal vacuum regarding the powers and prerogatives assigned to local councils had heavily influenced the number and level of candidates. According to the Ofiya report, the number of hate speech incidents reported had dropped further compared to the 1st round of local elections, from 11.44% to 6.42%. The report indicates that 213 video sequences viewed on the YouTube channels of certain media contain no incitement to hatred. Taking the floor, project manager at Ofiya Nesrine Abidi said that the monitoring carried out during the various phases of the run-off elections had shown that media coverage of candidates' activities had maintained the same pace as in the first round. Abidi pointed out that the monitoring had been conducted on 5 daily newspapers, 5 television channels, 16 radio channels and 6 electronic sites. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse