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Tunisia to Hold Presidential Elections in Last Quarter This Year

Tunisian President Kais Saied. (Reuters)
Tunisian President Kais Saied. (Reuters)
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Tunisia to Hold Presidential Elections in Last Quarter This Year

Tunisian President Kais Saied. (Reuters)
Tunisian President Kais Saied. (Reuters)

The 2024 presidential elections are expected to be held in September or October 2024, spokesman for the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE), Mohamed Tlili Mnasri, announced Sunday.
The Authority will begin preparations for the 2024 presidential elections just after the setting up of the National Council of Regions and Districts, he added.
Mnasri was speaking on the sidelines of a press briefing held by the ISIE on Sunday in Tunis.
Mnasri pointed out that, under the laws in force - which he said had not been amended - the presidential elections should be held within the constitutional timeframe, during the last three months of the presidential term.
Chapter 90 of the 2022 Constitution stipulates that the President is to be elected for a five-year term through a general, free, direct, and secret election within the final three months of the presidential term by an absolute majority of the votes cast.
President of the Republic Kais Saied won the run-off presidential elections in 2019 against Nabil Karoui with 72.71% of the vote.
According to the Tunisian constitution, the president's five-year term is set to end in the upcoming fall.
On Sunday, Tunisians voted in the second round of local elections with more than four million registered voters.
Farouk Bouasker, the commission’s chief, said that the polling stations nationwide opened at 8:00 a.m. local time Sunday morning.
The turnout in the first round of the election was 11.6%, according to Bouasker.
According to figures released by Mourakiboun, the turnout in the run-off local council elections had been 1.7% between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Wajdi Hamdi, member of the steering committee of the Chahed Observatory for election monitoring, said no major offenses were reported since the start of polling.
A total of 1,558 candidates competed over 779 seats at the councils, in the presence of approximately 14,000 local and foreign observers, as well as representatives of the candidates and civil community organizations concerned with electoral affairs.
The preliminary results of the elections are expected to be announced by February 7, with final results released on March 8-9.

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ISIS Flag Raised in Kirkuk Village

Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk
Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk
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ISIS Flag Raised in Kirkuk Village

Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk
Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk

Iraqi security forces on Friday encircled a village in Kirkuk province, located 250 kilometers north of Baghdad, after an ISIS flag was raised there.

The move comes amid statements from Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein about the resurgence of the terrorist group, which he said is reorganizing following the collapse of ISIS's Syrian stronghold.

In a phone conversation with UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer, Hussein warned that ISIS is rebuilding its strength, having seized significant weaponry left behind by the Syrian military’s collapse. This has allowed the group to expand its control in the region.

Hussein also raised alarms about the potential fallout from ISIS members escaping prisons and the situation at the Al-Hol camp, which holds the families of ISIS fighters in northeastern Syria, warning it could destabilize security in both Syria and Iraq.

He stressed the need for a political process in Syria that includes all components of society, and highlighted the importance of sustained international aid to the Syrian people.

Falconer expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the Aqaba meetings, which included British participation, emphasizing the need for continued dialogue to monitor developments in Syria.

He also voiced concerns over the potential for armed clashes between ISIS remnants and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), stressing that Syria cannot afford more internal conflict.

ISIS Flag in Kirkuk

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Baghdad has presented a plan for Syria following the recent shifts in the region and remains prepared for all possibilities. On Friday, Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk. The village, located in the Daqouq district south of Kirkuk, is believed to harbor ISIS remnants.

An Iraqi security source confirmed that the forces had surrounded the village of Khalid in Daqouq and launched a search operation for the perpetrators. Last week, a similar incident occurred in the Hawija district of Kirkuk.

Iraqi-Jordanian Coordination

Sudani also reiterated Iraq’s commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity and expressed readiness to support a comprehensive political process in the country without intervening in its internal affairs. In an interview with Iraqiya TV, Sudani stated that Iraq is concerned about the situation in Syria, particularly regarding the presence of armed groups and ISIS elements. He confirmed that joint operations with Jordan and the US-led coalition have already begun.

The Prime Minister called on Syria’s new leadership to ensure respect for the country’s diverse components and avoid excluding any group. He emphasized that Iraq, as a key member of the anti-ISIS coalition, remains committed to confronting any terrorist threat at its borders.

Sudani assured that Iraq faces no external threats or demands and is pursuing responsible dialogue based on mutual respect, shared interests, and securing its borders, which are now better fortified than ever.

The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has raised concerns over the fate of approximately 50,000 former ISIS fighters detained in camps in northern Syria. With the region in chaos, there are growing fears of these detention centers being breached, potentially paving the way for the group’s resurgence.