Tunisia’s Saied wins re-election, entrenching his power in Arab spring’s birthplace
Kai’s Saied won Sunday’s vote by a landslide – but low turnout reflected widespread discontent in the cradle of the Arab spring pro-democracy uprisings
President Kai’s Saied won a landslide victory in Tunisia’s election Monday, keeping his grip on power after a first term in which opponents were imprisoned and the country’s institutions overhauled to give him more authority.
The North African country’s Independent High Authority for Elections said Saied received 90.7 per cent of the vote, a day after exit polls showed him with an insurmountable lead in the country known as the birthplace of the Arab spring more than a decade ago.
“We’re going to cleanse the country of all the corrupt and schemers,” the 66-year-old populist said in a speech at campaign headquarters. He pledged to defend Tunisia against threats foreign and domestic.
That raised alarm among the president’s critics including University of Tunis law professor Sghayer Zakraoui, who said Tunisian politics were once again about “the absolute power of a single man who places himself above everyone else and believes himself to be invested with a messianic message”.
Zakraoui said the election results were reminiscent of Tunisia under President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who ruled for more than 20 years before becoming the first dictator toppled in the Arab spring uprisings. Saied received a larger vote share than Ben Ali did in 2009, two years before fleeing the country amid protests.
