Tunisia has scheduled to hold it’s presidential election on October 6, according to the presidency.
Incumbent president Kais Saied will run for a new five-year term following his initial election in 2019.
Saied, an expert in constitutional matters, assumed complete authority over the nation in 2021, governing through decrees after removing the prime minister and parliament, resulting in the imprisonment of many of his adversaries.
He then oversaw the writing of a new constitution, approved by referendum in 2022, establishing a presidential system and weakening parliament.
The political crisis prompted by Saied’s power grab has weighed heavily on Tunisia’s economy, with unemployment standing at 15 percent and about four million of the country’s 12 million people living in poverty.
Peoplesmind