President Saied announced on July 19 that he would run for another five-year term. Elected in 2019, Saied dissolved parliament in 2021 and began ruling the country by decree, a move criticized by the opposition. He has vowed not to hand power to those he calls “unpatriotic.”

As the August 6 deadline for registering presidential candidates approaches, 11 opposition figures issued a statement criticizing the government for restrictions aimed at eliminating rivals.

None of the opposition candidates have received a new requirement for a clean criminal record certificate. An Election Commission spokesman said the interior ministry would provide the certificate but did not say when.

Candidate Nizar Chaari said his campaign manager and a volunteer were arrested, and police confiscated support signatures. The prosecutor's office said they were arrested for forging signatures.

Earlier this month, opposition leader Lotfi Mraihi was sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from running for office for life for vote-buying. A judge also banned candidate Abd Ellatif Mekki from appearing in the media or traveling in the country.

The head of the Freedom Committee in Parliament, Hela Ben Jaballah, called for restrictions on candidates to be lifted and for the Election Commission to play its role neutrally.

Hong Hanh (according to Reuters)