Tunis: The date for the first round of the upcoming presidential elections will be October 6, 13 or 20, 2024, member of the Independent High Electoral Authority (ISIE) Najla Abrougui said on Thursday.
She added that the deadline for the President of the Republic to issue the writ for the elections is July 20.
In a statement to the TAP news agency, Abrougui pointed out that the commission began discussing on Wednesday the draft revision of the ISIE’s decision No. 20 of 2014, dated August 8, 2014, regarding the regulation of the rules, procedures and methods of campaign financing, pending its subsequent approval.
The ISIE member confirmed that the Commission’s Board had unanimously agreed to adopt the criminal record (Bulletin No. 3) as a prerequisite for running for the presidential elections, in order to verify that potential candidates enjoy their civil and political rights and are not involved in any of the electoral crimes stipulated in Articles 161 and 163 of the Electoral Code. The latter carry prison
sentences for obstructing voters from exercising their right to vote or receiving foreign funding.
Regarding endorsements, Abrougui said that ISIE board members unanimously agreed to adopt the requirement to collect endorsements from 10 districts, with a minimum of 500 endorsements per district.
As for parliamentary endorsements, it was agreed to limit the number of endorsements to 10 from members of the Assembly of People’s Representatives, 10 from members of the National Council of Regions and Districts, or 40 from other elected councils (local, regional and district councils).
She added that the ISIE will prepare a template for the candidate endorsement paper, which will be published on the commission’s website to prevent manipulation or fraudulent endorsements.
The commission will also develop an application to monitor endorsements, especially as Tunisian courts are still examining 236 cases related to fraudulent endorsements in the 2014, 2019 and 2022 legislative elections.
The commission will work
to ensure that candidates do not receive foreign, suspicious or anonymous funding, she added.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse