Tunisia's UGTT labor union called for the drafting of a roadmap to “save” the country from crisis after voters largely shunned last week’s legislative elections.
The elections lacked credibility and legitimacy because of the low turnout of voters, said UGTT Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi in a strongly-worded statement after a meeting of the executive bureau of the union on Wednesday.
Just 11.2 percent of voters cast ballots Saturday for a new parliament, which is the lowest turnout since the 2011 revolution that toppled late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and laid the foundation for a democratic regime, said the UGTT.
Only 1.025 million cast their votes out of 9 million registered voters.
The UGTT “notes the very low level of participation in the elections, which destroys their credibility and legitimacy and clearly confirms the public’s rejection” of President Kais Saied’s program, it said in a statement.
The current political situation “requires the UGTT to assume its national duty and take part, along with other national actors, in saving the country according to clear national goals and a solid roadmap”, it added.
The UGTT was one of four Tunisian organizations to jointly win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for their contribution to the country’s democratic transition.
UGTT spokesman Sami Tahri said on the sidelines of the meeting that the government bears full responsibility for the deteriorating economic and social conditions in the country.
