On 25 January Tunisians voted on a referendum for a new constitution which gives large prerogatives to President Kais Saied with little to no counter-powers, no accountability and the absence of guarantees for a separation of powers. The referendum came a year after President Saied suspended the Parliament and fired his Prime Minister, giving himself almost absolute power, in what political opponents denounced as a constitutional coup.
BIC North Africa Analyst, Yasmine Akrimi, said:
"According to the electoral commission, there was a sweeping victory of the yes with 94.6%, but also a strong abstention as only 30.5% of Tunisians took part in the voting process. Most political parties also boycotted the vote and polls estimate that around 54% of Tunisians did not take interest in the referendum at all, while 21% boycotted it. With a politically-divided public opinion and little trust regarding the transparency of the referendum, the country has entered an uncertain political era."
The BIC will continue to closely monitor the latest developments in Tunisia.