2019 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in Tunisia Final Report
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ELECTION REPORT ✩ 2019 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in Tunisia Final Report ELECTION REPORT ✩ 2019 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in Tunisia Final Report One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) 420-5100 www.cartercenter.org Contents Map of Tunisia................................. 4 The Independent High Authority Executive Summary ............................ 5 for Audiovisual Communications .............. 40 Background ................................. 6 Conclusion ................................ 41 Legal Framework ............................ 7 Candidates, Parties, and Campaigns ........... 42 Election Management ........................ 7 Campaigning in the First Round Voter Registration ........................... 8 of the Presidential Election .................. 42 Voter Education ............................. 8 Conclusion ................................ 44 Citizen Observation .......................... 8 Campaigning in the Parliamentary Election .... 44 Candidate Registration ....................... 8 Campaigning in the Second Round of the Campaign .................................. 9 Presidential Election ........................ 46 Voting and Counting ........................ 11 Campaign Finance ............................ 47 Tabulation ................................. 12 Social Media Monitoring ...................... 49 Electoral Dispute Resolution ................. 12 Legal Framework ........................... 49 Results .................................... 13 Methodology .............................. 50 Recommendations ......................... 14 Presidential Election, First Round ............. 51 The Carter Center in Tunisia ................... 15 Parliamentary Election ...................... 51 Election Observation Methodology ............ 17 Presidential Election, Runoff ................. 53 Local Monitoring Efforts ..................... 53 Political Background .......................... 20 Facebook .................................. 54 Legal Framework and Electoral System......... 23 Conclusion ................................ 54 Legal Framework ........................... 23 Civil Society .................................. 55 Electoral System ............................ 25 Electoral Dispute Resolution................... 58 Boundary Delimitation........................ 27 Candidate Registration for the Conclusion ................................ 28 Presidential Election ........................ 58 Election Management......................... 29 Candidate Registration for the Voter Registration............................. 32 Parliamentary Election ...................... 59 Voter Education .............................. 35 Election Day .................................. 60 Conclusion ................................ 36 Presidential Election, First Round, Sept. 15 ..... 60 Parliamentary Elections, Oct. 6 ............... 61 Candidate Registration ........................ 37 Presidential Election, Second Round, Oct. 13 .. 62 Presidential Election ........................ 37 The Tabulation Process ...................... 62 Parliamentary Elections. .38 Security Situation During the Electoral Period .. 63 Conclusion ................................ 39 Postelection Developments ................... 64 Annex A: Acknowledgments................... 70 Resolution of Disputed Results ............... 64 Annex B: Population and Quotient Numbers ... 72 Challenges to the Results of the Annex C: Candidate Registration............... 74 Parliamentary Election ..................... 64 Challenges to Results of the Annex D: Election Results ..................... 75 Presidential Election ....................... 65 Annex E: The Carter Center Political Developments ...................... 65 Delegation and Staff List ...................... 78 Conclusions and Recommendations ........... 67 Annex F: Terms and Abbreviations............. 81 To the Assembly of Representatives Annex G: Press Releases and Statements ....... 83 of the People ............................. 67 To the ISIE ................................. 68 Annex H: Links to Citizen Observer Election Statements and Reports ............. 139 To the Judiciary. .69 To the Government ......................... 69 Annex I: Observer Checklists ................. 141 To Political Parties .......................... 69 Annex J: Letter of Invitation .................. 155 To Civil Society Organizations ................ 69 The Carter Center at a Glance ................ 156 Map of Tunisia Source: Ezilon Maps, ezilon.com Executive Summary The 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections three well-organized elections in less than one represent Tunisia’s first peaceful transfer of power month: a presidential election on Sept. 15, a from one democratically elected president to parliamentary election on Oct. 6, and a presiden- another, and from the country’s first democratically tial runoff on Oct. 13. elected parliament under the Second Republic to Tunisia’s electoral authorities should be its second. Although democratic transition and key commended for successfully managing the 2019 reforms have stagnated since the country’s 2014 elections within a compressed timeline caused by elections, Tunisians reconfirmed their commitment the untimely death of President Beji Caïd Essebsi. to the country’s fledgling democracy by voting in All three polls were orderly and peaceful, with Observers Tidiani Togola (left) of Mali and Anitra Jankevica of Latvia use the Center's ELMO technology to assess electoral processes in a polling station during the first round of Tunisia's presidential election. Their translator is at right. 5 only minor irregularities. The High Independent Tunisian people with the existing political institu- Authority for the Elections (known by its French tions and establishment and popular impatience acronym, the ISIE) carried out a successful voter with a failure of the state to produce tangible registration drive that added 1,455,898 new economic improvements, protect the fundamental voters. Candidate registration was conducted in a rights of citizens, and tackle corruption on all professional and efficient manner by the election levels. administration. It suffered, however, from a lack of Tunisians are rightly proud of their role in transparency about the reasons for denying candi- catalyzing the Arab Spring and for continuing to date applications and endorsements for presidential serve as a beacon for democracy across the region. candidates. In order to strengthen their democratic transition The electoral process was marred by last-minute and institutions, Tunisia’s new leaders must take attempts to restrict the right to stand in the presi- concrete steps to demonstrate that democracy can dential race. In June, parliament voted to amend and should benefit the people by strengthening the electoral law and retroactively restrict the the country’s institutions, introducing economic heads of charitable organizations and owners of reforms that improve the daily lives of ordinary media organizations from running. Although the Tunisians, and ensuring that essential institutions measure passed and was deemed constitutional by such as the constitutional court are put in place interim judicial authorities, the president did not without further delay to guarantee their freedoms. sign the legislation into law and the restrictions The urgent need for a constitutional court were not applied in the election. also became evident with Essebsi’s death, as it is Presidential candidate and media owner Nabil the only institution with the authority under the Karoui, a presumed target of the amendments, constitution to declare a permanent presidential was detained in August 2019, shortly before the vacancy. Nevertheless, a constitutional crisis campaign period began. The timing of Karoui’s was averted when the Interim Authority for the detention on charges that had been pending since Constitutionality of Draft Laws (IPPCPL) stepped 2016 raised questions of political interference in in and effected a peaceful transfer of power to the the judicial system, given that a lower court had parliamentary speaker, who became interim presi- allowed him to remain free while the investigation dent the day Essebsi died. was ongoing. Background Voters, young people especially, overwhelmingly Since the 2014 elections, Tunisia has made some placed their hope in nonconventional political actors, progress in its democratic transition, but because of a lack of political will, many essential reforms including the new president, to reinvigorate the needed to break away from the old regime and country’s political transition and economic recovery. fulfill the aspirations of the Tunisian people after the transition to democracy have stalled. The Nidaa-Ennahda partnership that characterized While voter turnout in the Sept. 15 and Oct. political life under the first legislature was seen by 6 elections was lower than in other recent elec- many to have been ineffective. Their governing tions, voter participation increased for the Oct. coalition eventually weakened, and they lost the 13 runoff. Voters, young people especially, over- trust of many of their supporters. whelmingly placed their hope in nonconventional The first parliament was unable to put in place political actors, including the new president, to essential institutions that would guarantee the reinvigorate the country’s political transition and individual rights and freedoms for which Tunisians economic recovery. The outcome