Next Tunisian general election

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Tunisia

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The next Tunisian general election was originally scheduled to be held in 2014, but it was brought forward by the Tunisian Revolution which caused the ousting of President Ben Ali on 14 January 2011. It was later postponed indefinitely after it was decided to first hold a Constituent Assembly election on 23 October.

It is now scheduled to be held on or before 20 March 2013, depending on when constitution drafting is finished.^[1]

Background

Protests in Tunisia began in December 2010 with riots in Sidi Bouzid after Mohamed Bouazizi set himself alight in protest against the confiscation of his fruit and vegetable cart.^[2] The riots then spread across the country and continued into 2011. Days after a curfew was imposed in the capital Tunis amid continuing conflagarations, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali left the country. Ben Ali's Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi briefly took over as acting president^[3] before he handed power over to parliamentary speaker Fouad Mebazaa^[4] after the head of Tunisia's Constitutional Court, Fethi Abdennadher, declared that Ghannouchi did not have right to take power and Mebazaa would have 60 days to organise a new general election.^[5] For his part, Mebazaa said it was in the country's best interest to form a National Unity government.^[6]

Days before leaving office, Ben Ali said he would not seek to change the constitution and run for a sixth term in office.^[7][8]

Ben Ali's Constitutional Democratic Rally considered to change its name (retaining the "Constitution" part in some form) and run in the general election on an anti-Islamist platform.^[9] However, the party was banned on 6 February 2011^[10] and dissolved on 9 March 2011.^[11]

The head of the Higher Political Reform Commission, prominent lawyer Yadh Ben Achour, warned that Tunisia risked anarchy if the transitional period is not handled with care, as institutions and mechanisms of the state are either in disarray or still tainted by links to Ben Ali's regime. Ben Achour also stated that the commission was unsure whether it would be better to reform the constitution or elect a constitutional assembly to write a completely new one, but that it had to be decided soon, as the public was growing tired of waiting. He also confirmed elections would not be held by 15 March 2011 as theoretically stipulated by the constitution, pointing to force majeure as legitimate grounds for taking longer until the election.^[12]

The interim government announced on 25 February 2011, that elections would be held by mid-July "at the latest".^[1] The constitution of Tunisia mandates an election to occur within 45 to 60 days of the Constitutional Council's declaration of the presidency being vacant,^[13] but there were calls by the opposition to delay the elections and hold them only within six or seven months, with international supervision.^[14]

After the formation of an interim government, over 70 political parties were formed in order to run for the elections. ^[15]

Dates

The general election has been postponed indefinitely as the president announced on 3 March that an election to a Constituent Assembly would be held on 24 July.^[16] This election was itself postponed and finally took place on 23 October.^[17]

In February 2012, plans were announced to hold presidential elections within 18 months, which would mean by August 2013.^[18]

A preliminary date of 20 March 2013 or before was announced in March 2012.^[1]

Presidential elections

Polls

Parliamentary elections

Polls

References

v t e Elections and referendums in Tunisia Presidential elections 1959 1964 1969 1974 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2011 Next Parliamentary elections 1956 1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1981 1986 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2011 Next Referendums 2002