Electoral silence to start in Tunisia ahead of presidential vote

TUNIS, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) — The electoral campaign for the upcoming Tunisian presidential election will end Wednesday at midnight before entering the electoral silence period on Thursday, reported the Tunis Afrique Presse.
On Tunisian soil, the campaign will continue until Thursday’s midnight.
During the period of electoral silence, candidates are prohibited from carrying out any electoral activity, and media and citizens are prohibited from broadcasting any electoral or political propaganda messages, by virtue of the provisions of the electoral law of 2014.
All the electoral posters are also required to be removed before the electoral silence.
The period of electoral silence, which will end with the closing of the last polling station, aims to guarantee the transparency and sincerity of the vote and to avoid any form of pressure on voters.
On Sept. 2, the Tunisian Independent High Authority for Elections announced the final list of three candidates: incumbent President Kais Saied, who is running for a second five-year term, Secretary-General of the People’s Movement party Zouhair Maghzaoui, and Secretary-General of the Azimoun Movement, Ayachi Zammel, who is still in detention for election-related irregularities.
The final results of the presidential election will be announced by Nov. 9 at the latest.
Tunisia holds a presidential election every five years, with Saied having served as president since his election in 2019. ■