A court in Tunisia has upheld an appeal by former minister Mondher Znaidi, allowing him to run in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for October 6. The Tunisian Administrative Court announced on Thursday that it has decided to accept Znaidi’s appeal, overturning the decision made by the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE), which had rejected the politician due to insufficient signatures on the voter lists.
This ruling adds Znaidi to the list of legally recognized opposition candidates, which also includes Abdelattif Mekki, Ayachi Zammel, and Zouhair Maghzaoui. The court reinstated Mekki in the election race on Tuesday, after his candidacy had also been rejected by the ISIE. The election authority had excluded 14 individuals from running for the presidency and is expected to release a final list of candidates next week.
The court’s decision to allow Znaidi to participate may revive momentum in the election campaign and intensify the race for the incumbent president, Kais Saied. Saied was democratically elected in 2019 but executed a significant power coup in 2021 and is now seeking a second presidential term. Several of his political opponents and critics are currently imprisoned or facing legal prosecution.
Znaidi has held multiple governmental positions, including Minister of Public Health, Minister of Transport, Minister of Commerce, and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. He served under President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted during the uprisings in 2011. Znaidi has positioned his experience as a strength for the debt-ridden Tunisia and is expected to attract voters who are dissatisfied with Saied’s administration over the past five years.
Experts regard him as a significant candidate with the potential to garner votes from major opposition parties, including Ennahdha, which was the largest party in Tunisia’s parliament before Saied dissolved the chamber in July 2021. Last year, Saied stated that he “would not hand over the country to non-patriots.”
The Tunisian opposition, politicians, and human rights groups have accused the president of using “arbitrary restrictions” and intimidation to secure his reelection. They allege that the electoral commission is not neutral and seeks to eliminate all serious competitors to pave the way for the incumbent president’s victory. The commission has denied these allegations.
Last week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that the Tunisian authorities “have prosecuted, convicted, or imprisoned at least eight potential candidates” for the October election. The North African country under Saied is “preparing for a presidential election amid increased repression of dissent and freedom of expression without significant checks and balances” on the president’s power, HRW added.
On Thursday, the Administrative Court also announced that it had rejected an appeal from Abir Moussi, a jailed challenger and a strong critic of Saied.