Tunisian President Kais Saied on Thursday introduced a new electoral law that reduces the influence of political parties in elections, reported The France 24.
Under the new law, voters will now vote for individuals instead of selecting a single party list as it has been in previous elections.
The main parties in Tunisia have rejected the law, which comes ahead of parliamentary elections on December 17. The parties have already said that they will boycott any elections under Saied’s new constitution, which has greatly expanded his powers and removed most checks on his actions.
Mr. Saied said the new law allows the people to exercise effective sovereignty and dismissed concerns that political parties were being excluded.
“We are passing through a new stage in the history of Tunisia towards the sovereignty of the people after previous sham elections,” the Tunisian president said during a cabinet meeting.
He said the accusations constituted lies and fabrications.
President Saied dismissed parliament over a year ago and has been ruling largely by decree.
In July, a new Tunisian constitution giving sweeping powers to the president was approved in a referendum marked by low voter participation – and whose results the opposition said were not legitimate.
The new constitution has instead brought the government directly under the president, while reducing the influence of a new two-chamber parliament. The new lower chamber will only have 161 members, as compared to the 217 previously. Details of the second chamber, including how its members will be elected, have not yet been issued.
The United States has repeatedly voiced concern at the democratic backsliding under Saied, a political independent who worked as a constitutional law lecturer before running for president in 2019.
Saied has rejected the criticism, calling it unacceptable interference in domestic Tunisian affairs, and has denied his actions constitute a coup.
