Ten candidates running independently in Tunisia’s upcoming presidential elections, slated for September, lodged court appeals against the initial roaster released by the higher electoral commission.
Apparently, the ten’s candidacy was rejected after the body accused them of violating national laws. They included each of Fethiye Moawed, Malika Al Zidni, Albahri al-Jalasi, Alzahr al-Ghezlanni, Marwan Bin Omar, Alsohbi Barham, Mohammed al-Awsat Aayari, Leila Hammami, Mohammed al-Hadi bin Hassan, and Mohammed Saleh al-Janadi.
Appeals will be tackled next week, according to a date set by the country’s administrative court. Verdicts will be issued at the end of hearing sessions.
The country’s electoral commission had approved 26 candidates, including two women, out of a total of 97 hopefuls seeking to contest for the country's top office. Those approved include moderates, Islamists, and liberals.
A final list will be published by August 31st. More so, in its August 14 announcement, the body said the 71 rejected presidential candidates could file for court appeals.
Confusion rocking conventional support bases of political parties coupled with a host of candidates running independently, according to some political analysts, is the reason some candidates, such as Defense Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi, are suddenly gaining massive electoral weight.
Political analyst Saladin Jourchi also noted that splintered submissions will challenge campaigns run by leftists.
“The left is divided among more than one candidate," he said while stressing that there is no apparent advantage to single one out from the running mates.
It is worth noting that Zibidi shares many of the liberal and moderate views championed by Prime Minister (PM) Youssef Chahed, who’s also running for presidency. Shared principals and political views set the stage for a heated competition to take place between the two.
Next to Zibidi and Chahed, each of ex-PM Mehdi Jomaa and Ennahda party vice-president Abdel Fattah Mourou will participate in the race.
Ultimately, competition is limited to two main streams: the conservatives represented by Ennahda candidates, and reformists represented by various modernist parties.
