58 candidates applied for the presidency post between July 29th and August 6th, according to the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE). Candidates must collect 10,000 signatures by the deadline, have a clean criminal record, be Tunisian and Muslim, and be at least 40 years old. In addition to the candidates, several political opponents in prison qualify for candidacy as long as they are acquitted.
“Fight wherever you are” is the battle cry of one potential presidential candidate, lawyer Ghazi Chaouachi, who on July 15, 2024, announced his candidacy from his prison cell via a Facebook statement. Chaouachi has been behind bars since February 2023, awaiting trial. He criticizes the “authoritarian policies of the current regime,” and a lack of dialogue, and has filed complaints over the administrative hurdles he’s facing in obtaining his criminal record extract and endorsement forms.
Similar hurdles are being faced by all imprisoned candidates for the post of president, which includes every characteristic among others, from former military officers interested in returning to the political ground, opponents currently outside the country, a cardiologist, and regime loyalists in the form of President Kaïs Saïed’s supporter. However, President Saïed has still not confirmed his position by announcing his decision of whether he will participate in the race for presidency or not.
In reality, it is a presidential election in which Tunisia is going to determine considerable interest; the candidates are wide, but the interst that other candidacies may have is harder to get. What remains the most difficult are the administrative and judicial challenges in the struggle of a blend of incarcerated opponents, returning military figures, and various professionals to shape the future of Tunisia.