In the recent presidential elections held in Tunisia, incumbent President Kais Saied has reportedly secured a resounding victory, winning 89.2% of the votes according to exit polls. This was announced by Hassan Zargouni, the director of the polling company Sigma Conseil, during a live broadcast on Tunisian public television. With a total of approximately 2,194,150 votes in his favor, Saied’s victory highlights the significant support he enjoys among voters.
The election featured three candidates: Saied, opposition candidate Ayachi Zammel, who is the secretary-general of the Azimoun movement, and Zouhair Maghzaoui, the secretary-general of the People’s Movement, who aligned with Saied. While Saied dominated the results, Zammel garnered only 6.9% of the votes, amounting to 169,727, and Maghzaoui trailed with 3.9%, receiving 95,933 votes.
Despite the challenging political landscape in Tunisia, the electoral process was reported to have gone smoothly. The Independent High Authority for Elections announced a preliminary voter turnout of 27.7% by the closing of polling stations at 6 p.m. local time. Farouk Bouaskar, the president of the authority, stated at a press conference that there were no significant incidents that marred the election day, and voter participation was respectable both in Tunisia and among its citizens abroad.
The elections were held amid ongoing political tensions and economic challenges facing the country. Voting for the presidential term began on Sunday morning, while overseas voting started two days earlier in 59 countries. The official turnout rates and preliminary results are expected to be released the following day, marking an important moment in Tunisia’s political journey as it continues to navigate through complex issues within its governance.
