Tunisia Election Commission Declares President Kais Saied Winner in Landslide

Tunisia's Independent High Authority for Elections officially declared incumbent President Kais Saied the winner of the nation's presidential election on Monday, concluding a vote that cements his executive authority over the North African country. According to preliminary tallies presented during a live press conference in Tunis, Saied garnered an overwhelming 90.69% of valid votes cast, securing a second five-year constitutional term in office.

The election commission confirmed that out of nearly 2.8 million ballots cast across the country and overseas diaspora polling stations, Saied received more than 2.4 million votes. The sweeping victory leaves little doubt about his immediate political dominance, even as domestic and international observers drew attention to a relatively muted preliminary turnout rate of 28.8%, down sharply from the 55% participation recorded in the 2019 presidential election.

Decisive Landslide Victory and Electoral Commission Announcement

Saied, a 66-year-old former constitutional law professor who first rose to power as an anti-establishment political outsider in 2019, has dramatically reshaped Tunisia's governance structure over the past three years. In July 2021, he suspended parliament and seized broad emergency powers before rewriting the constitution in 2022 to establish a hyper-presidential political framework that significantly curbed legislative and judicial checks.

Trailing far behind in second place was liberal businessman Ayachi Zammel, who garnered 7.35% of the total vote. Zammel campaigned under severe constraints after being detained in early September and subsequently handed multiple prison sentences totaling over fourteen years on charges of falsifying voter nomination signatures, accusations his legal defense team vehemently rejected as politically fabricated.

“The preliminary results confirm the sovereign choice of the Tunisian people to continue our path toward national renewal, social justice, and institutional stability.” — Farouk Bouasker, President of Tunisia's Independent High Authority for Elections

Turnout Figures, Imprisoned Challengers, and Political Backlash

Former member of parliament Zouhair Maghzaoui, leader of the Arab nationalist People's Movement who previously supported Saied's 2021 political overhaul before becoming a vocal critic of his economic stewardship, finished in third place with 1.97% of the ballots. Maghzaoui criticized the pre-election environment, alleging widespread state administrative bias and restrictions on media coverage.

Mainstream opposition alliances, including the National Salvation Front and the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, urged supporters to boycott the vote after key political leaders and prospective candidates were barred from the ballot or imprisoned. Despite opposition denunciations, Saied's enthusiastic supporters gathered on Avenue Habib Bourguiba late into the night, waving national flags and celebrating what state media characterized as a triumphant continuation of sovereign national reform.

Sources

• Instance Supérieure Indépendante pour les Élections
• Présidence de la République Tunisienne