With apathetic voters, Tunisia parliamentary election records astonishingly low turnout

Tunisia's parliamentary run-off elections on Sunday had a low turnout of a mere 11 per cent. The turnout though more than December's first-round voter turnout rate of 8.8 per cent, is still significantly low.In a strong rebuke to the president for his 2021 power grab, Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, leader of the nation's main opposition, the National Salvation Front, said, “Almost 90% of Tunisian voters ignored this piece of theatre and refused to be involved in the process."

“I call on political groups and civil society to join hands to work for change, in the form of Kais Saied’s departure and early presidential elections," he added.

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Tunisians appear to be uninterested in voting in the parliamentary elections. One Tunisian Nejib Sahli, 40, while passing a polling station in the Hay Ettahrir district of Tunis early on Sunday said, “I’m not interested in elections that do not concern me," reported France 24.

Saied won the 2019 elections with a landslide however last year, Tunisian President Kais Saied dissolved the country's parliament. At the time, Saied said that the move was taken to purge the country of economic crisis and corruption. Additionally, he blamed government of mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic.

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On 25 July 2021, while invoking an emergency act Article 80 from Tunisia’s constitution Saied removed the Prime Minister and suspended the Parliament the next day. Seizing the power, the president vowed that he will appoint a new leader.

The whole episode which shattered the democratic ambitions of the Arab nation, played out after huge protests gripped the country with citizens blaming the government for Covid mishandling. The country reportedly witnessed a huge death tally during the pandemic.

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Tunisia's opposition party Ennahdha termed the move a coup. He not only removed the cabinet members but also removed many senior officials including many senior judges. Many opposition leaders were put behind bars. Notably, Tunisia has had eight Prime Ministers since 2011.

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