AP Archive | Analyst ponders if Tunisia's president can secure second term in Sunday's election @APArchive | Uploaded October 2024 | Updated October 2024, 1 week ago.
(4 Oct 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tunis, Tunisia - 14 September 2024
1. Various of people demonstrating against Tunisian President Kais Saied
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Montelimar, France - 4 October, 2024
++VIDEO CALL QUALITY++
2. SOUNDBITE (French) Michael Ayari, Senior Analyst Algeria & Tunisia, ICG:
“Will Saied’s rule last forever? That is the question. Is it possible to change the political system in a peaceful way? Or are Tunisians condemned to have a president who will stay in power for 30 years? Who will stay for 20 or 30 years and will put in place his program and the country will become more and more authoritarian? And at the same time the economic and social situation will deteriorate. A lot think that (it will). Then the president’s supporters think this is a key moment, because there are a lot of people against the president, plotting against him, so we should move forward, and this election will give him the power to carry out his program to liberate the country from a kind of Western domination, from corruption within the institutions.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tunis, Tunisia - 25 July 2024
3. Various of supporters of Saied marching in Tunis
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Montelimar, France - 4 October 2024
++VIDEO CALL QUALITY++
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Michael Ayari, Senior Analyst Algeria & Tunisia, ICG:
“In the capital, people who are more politicized, who follow politics and all of that, there is a lot of worry. A lot of them are asking this morning what is going to happen after this. In the days after, as if it’s going to be the end of the world. A lot of them think there could be a situation like a coup d’etat, the army would have a reason to stop the president from doing another mandate with radicalism in his program. Others think maybe (Ayachi) Zammel will be let out of prison like in the Senegalese scenario where we saw a presidential candidate who was imprisoned and who got out. But there’s still a lot of worry.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tunis, Tunisia - 25 July 2024
5. Mid of Saied poster in Tunis
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tunis, Tunisia - 11 January 2024
6. Various of people walking in central Tunis
STORYLINE:
With his major opponents imprisoned or left off the ballot, Tunisian President Kais Saied faces few obstacles to winning re-election on Sunday, five years after riding anti-establishment backlash to a first term.
The North African country's Oct. 6 presidential election is its third since protests led to the 2011 ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali — the first autocrat toppled in the Arab Spring uprisings that also overthrew leaders in Egypt, Libya and Yemen.
International observers praised the previous two contests as meeting democratic norms. However, a raft of arrests and actions taken by a Saied-appointed election authority have raised doubts about whether this year's race is free and fair. And opposition parties have called for a boycott.
Michael Ayari, Senior Analyst for Algeria & Tunisia at the International Crisis Group, told the Associated Press on Friday that questions loom over Tunisia's future trajectory.
“Will Saied’s rule last forever? That is the question. Is it possible to change the political system in a peaceful way? Or are Tunisians condemned to have a president who will stay in power for 30 years? Who will stay for 20 or 30 years and will put in place his program and the country will become more and more authoritarian?”
Tunisia has maintained ties with its traditional Western allies but also forged new partnerships under Saied.
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(4 Oct 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tunis, Tunisia - 14 September 2024
1. Various of people demonstrating against Tunisian President Kais Saied
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Montelimar, France - 4 October, 2024
++VIDEO CALL QUALITY++
2. SOUNDBITE (French) Michael Ayari, Senior Analyst Algeria & Tunisia, ICG:
“Will Saied’s rule last forever? That is the question. Is it possible to change the political system in a peaceful way? Or are Tunisians condemned to have a president who will stay in power for 30 years? Who will stay for 20 or 30 years and will put in place his program and the country will become more and more authoritarian? And at the same time the economic and social situation will deteriorate. A lot think that (it will). Then the president’s supporters think this is a key moment, because there are a lot of people against the president, plotting against him, so we should move forward, and this election will give him the power to carry out his program to liberate the country from a kind of Western domination, from corruption within the institutions.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tunis, Tunisia - 25 July 2024
3. Various of supporters of Saied marching in Tunis
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Montelimar, France - 4 October 2024
++VIDEO CALL QUALITY++
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Michael Ayari, Senior Analyst Algeria & Tunisia, ICG:
“In the capital, people who are more politicized, who follow politics and all of that, there is a lot of worry. A lot of them are asking this morning what is going to happen after this. In the days after, as if it’s going to be the end of the world. A lot of them think there could be a situation like a coup d’etat, the army would have a reason to stop the president from doing another mandate with radicalism in his program. Others think maybe (Ayachi) Zammel will be let out of prison like in the Senegalese scenario where we saw a presidential candidate who was imprisoned and who got out. But there’s still a lot of worry.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tunis, Tunisia - 25 July 2024
5. Mid of Saied poster in Tunis
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tunis, Tunisia - 11 January 2024
6. Various of people walking in central Tunis
STORYLINE:
With his major opponents imprisoned or left off the ballot, Tunisian President Kais Saied faces few obstacles to winning re-election on Sunday, five years after riding anti-establishment backlash to a first term.
The North African country's Oct. 6 presidential election is its third since protests led to the 2011 ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali — the first autocrat toppled in the Arab Spring uprisings that also overthrew leaders in Egypt, Libya and Yemen.
International observers praised the previous two contests as meeting democratic norms. However, a raft of arrests and actions taken by a Saied-appointed election authority have raised doubts about whether this year's race is free and fair. And opposition parties have called for a boycott.
Michael Ayari, Senior Analyst for Algeria & Tunisia at the International Crisis Group, told the Associated Press on Friday that questions loom over Tunisia's future trajectory.
“Will Saied’s rule last forever? That is the question. Is it possible to change the political system in a peaceful way? Or are Tunisians condemned to have a president who will stay in power for 30 years? Who will stay for 20 or 30 years and will put in place his program and the country will become more and more authoritarian?”
Tunisia has maintained ties with its traditional Western allies but also forged new partnerships under Saied.
===========================================================
Find out more about AP Archive: aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: facebook.com/APArchives
Instagram: instagram.com/APNews
You can license this story through AP Archive: aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/c31a4c37d1144ef7ab62e2efc53366cf
