Tunisian Journalists Say Electoral Commission Harassing Media Ahead of Parliamentary Elections

The main journalists union in Tunisia accused the national electoral commission of a campaign of harassment against the media in order to silence critics against Saturday’s parliamentary election. The accusation comes on the same day as Tunisia’s President Kais Saied met in Washington with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where he defended his decision to dissolve the parliament more than a year ago. Most of the country’s political parties are boycotting the December 17 election, called at the direction of the Tunisian president. In July 2021, Saied declared a state of emergency, dismissed the government, suspended parliament, and ruled by decree until a new constitution was approved five months ago, that concentrated power in the hands of the president, meaning that the parliament will have far fewer powers than in the past. A growing number of journalists in Tunisia have criticism the country’s electoral commission, said to be independent but packed with new Saied appointees, accusing it of seeking to silence journalists with threats of prosecution. Blinken told Saied during their meeting  that the United States  “supports inclusive, transparent elections,” and called for respect for “diverse voices in Tunisia.”