2019 Tunisian presidential election

{{Infobox election

| country = Tunisia

| type = presidential

| previous_election = 2014 Tunisian presidential election

| previous_year = 2014

| election_date = 15 September 2019 (first round)
13 October 2019 (second round)

| next_election = 2024 Tunisian presidential election

| next_year = 2024

| turnout = 48.98% (first round) {{decrease}} 14.20pp
55.02% (second round) {{decrease}} 5.32pp

| image1 = President Kais Saïed.jpg

| candidate1 = Kais Saied

| party1 = Independent politician

| popular_vote1 = 2,777,931

| percentage1 = 72.71%

| image2 = NabilKaroui.jpg

| color2 = E10A1A

| candidate2 = Nabil Karoui

| party2 = Heart of Tunisia

| popular_vote2 = 1,042,894

| percentage2 = 27.29%

| map = {{Switcher

| 200px

| First round results by governorate

| 250px

| Second round results by governorate

| default = 2

}}

| title = President

| before_election = Mohamed Ennaceur (interim)

| before_party = Nidaa Tounes

| after_election = Kais Saied

| after_party = Independent politician

}}{{Politics of Tunisia}}

Presidential elections were held in Tunisia on 15 September 2019,{{cite web|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/tunisie-l-election-presidentielle-reprogrammee-au-15-septembre-20190725|title=Tunisie: l'élection présidentielle reprogrammée au 15 septembre|date=25 July 2019|accessdate=14 September 2019|work=Le Figaro/Reuters|language=fr}} the second direct vote for the presidency since the 2011 revolution.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49650446|title=Tunisia set to hold second free presidential election|work=BBC|date=15 September 2019|accessdate=15 September 2019}} The elections had originally been planned for 17 and 24 November,{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tunisia-election/tunisia-delays-presidential-elections-by-one-week-to-nov-17-idUSKCN1RB04T|title=Tunisia delays presidential elections by one week to Nov 17|work=Reuters|date=30 March 2019|accessdate=3 June 2019}} but were brought forward after the death of incumbent President Beji Caid Essebsi on 25 July to ensure that a new president would take office within 90 days, as required by the constitution.

As no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, a runoff was held on 13 October between the top two candidates, Kais Saied and Nabil Karoui. Saied won the second round with 73% of the vote.[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-14/tunisians-seeking-change-get-an-unlikely-president-robot-man Tunisians Seeking Change Get an Unlikely President] Bloomberg, 14 October 2019

Background

In April 2019, incumbent President Beji Caid Essebsi said that he would not seek re-election, opening the candidate field to other candidates. However, Essebsi died on 25 July at age 92, with five months left in his term. The President of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, Mohamed Ennaceur, became interim president, according to the Constitutional provision for presidential succession.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tunisia-president-ennaceur-idUSKCN1UK1QM|title=Tunisia parliament speaker Ennaceur to serve as temporary president|date=25 July 2019|work=Reuters|access-date=25 July 2019|language=en}} According to Article 84 of the Tunisian constitution, an interim president may serve for a maximum of 90 days, meaning Ennaceur's role was due to expire on 23 October 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Tunisia_2014.pdf|title=Tunisia's Constitution of 2014|date=1 September 2019|website=Constitute Project|access-date=25 July 2019}}{{Better source|date=July 2019}} In order to comply with this, the High Authority for Elections announced the election will be held sooner than scheduled,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49111905|title=Tunisia's first freely elected president dies|date=25 July 2019|website=BBC|access-date=25 July 2019}} being moved up from 17 and 24 November to 15 September and 13 October.{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190927-exclusive-tunisia-presidential-election-run-off-vote-set-october-13-kais-saied-nabil-karoui|title=Exclusive: Tunisia presidential run-off vote set for October 13}}

Electoral system

The President of Tunisia is directly elected by universal suffrage using the two-round system. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, a second round is held between the top two candidates.{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/tunisians-voting-unpredictable-presidential-contest-190915065803007.html|title=Tunisians vote in unpredictable presidential contest|work=Al Jazeera|date=15 September 2019|accessdate=15 September 2019}} Candidates must be at least 35 years old on the day of filing for candidacy, and are also required to be Muslim. Candidates must have Tunisian citizenship, and are required give up any other citizenship they hold.

=Electoral reform controversy=

On 18 June 2019, the Assembly of Representatives passed amendments to the country's electoral law, accused by some of blocking candidates like Nabil Karoui and Olfa Terras from being eligible to run in the election.{{cite news |last1=Daou |first1=Marc |title=En Tunisie, un code électoral "taillé sur mesure pour éliminer certains candidats" |url=https://www.france24.com/fr/20190620-tunisie-amendements-code-electoral-nabil-karoui-olfa-terras-rambourg-presidentielle |accessdate=25 July 2019 |work=France 24 |date=20 June 2019 |language=fr}} The amendments prohibited those with a criminal record, as well as those who run charitable organizations or received foreign funding for political advertising in the year preceding an election.{{cite news |title=Tunisie: recours contre une modification du code électoral |url=https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1176300/tunisie-recours-contre-une-modification-du-code-electoral.html |accessdate=25 July 2019 |work=L'Orient-Le Jour |date=25 June 2019 |language=fr}} On 25 June, members of Nidaa Tounes and the Popular Front filed a motion in the Assembly of Representatives, calling the move unconstitutional.

Candidates

=Approved candidates=

class="wikitable"

! |Image

! |Candidates

! |Party

! |Reference

100px

|Mohamed Abbou

|Democratic Current

|{{cite web|url=https://www.tap.info.tn/en/Portal-Politics/11815178-2019-presidential|title=2019 Presidential Race: Abbou meets with Jendouba locals|work=Tunis Afrique Presse|date=13 September 2019|accessdate=13 September 2019}}

100px

|Saïd Aïdi

|Beni Watani

|{{cite web|url=https://www.tap.info.tn/en/Portal-Politics/11794836-presidential|title=Presidential election: Beni Watani's Saïd Aïdi campaigns in Sfax|work=Tunis Afrique Presse|date=6 September 2019|accessdate=14 September 2019}}

|Hatem Boulabiar

|Independent

|{{cite web|url=https://www.tap.info.tn/en/Portal-Politics/11811906-2019-presidential|title=2019 Presidential campaign: Independent Hatem Boulabiar in Ariana|work=Tunis Afrique Presse|date=11 September 2019|accessdate=14 September 2019}}

|Abid Briki

|Tunisia Forward

|{{cite web|url=https://www.tap.info.tn/en/Portal-Politics/11816643-presidential-race|title=Presidential race: Abid Briki in Zarzis|work=Tunis Afrique Presse|date=13 September 2019|accessdate=13 September 2019}}

2019 Tunisian presidential election

Background

Electoral system

=Electoral reform controversy=

Candidates

=Approved candidates=

=Rejected candidates=

=Candidates who declined to run=

Televised debates

Opinion polls

Results

References