Tunisia’s opposition calls for the resignation of President Kais Saied after low turnout in Saturday’s parliamentary elections. According to initial counts, only 8.8 percent of voters cast their votes. Opposition parties boycotted the polls after the president ousted the prime minister in the summer of 2021, installed a new prime minister and dissolved parliament.
The opposition party bloc has called for mass protests to force new presidential elections. Opposition leader Nejib Chebbi called the low turnout an “earthquake”. He also said the opposition considers Saied an “illegitimate president”.
The opposition also boycotted a referendum on a new constitution last summer. This would return the country to the authoritarian rule it had before the 2011 democratic revolution. Under the new constitution, the president was given more power over the government and the judiciary, and controls on presidential power were removed. Parliament also received a weaker position from the new constitution.
Provisional results of the parliamentary elections are expected on Monday.
