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Tunisia: Online survey fails despite large investment

March 19, 2022 at 10:59 am

Members of the July 25 movement (Tunisian President Kais Saied supporters) hold a demonstration demanding the dissolution of the Supreme Judicial Council in Tunis, Tunisia on February 06, 2022 [Yassine Gaidi / Anadolu Agency]

Tunisian President Kais Saied’s online survey aimed at asking voters for their political views has failed despite the large investment in its development, the Tunisian Workers’ Party disclosed on Friday.

Saied launched the electronic poll on 15 January, but the Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that less than six per cent of the 12 million Tunisian citizens have participated in the poll.

In a statement, the Workers’ Party shared: “Saied’s poll failed despite all counterfeit attempts and the public fund wasted for it.”

The Workers’ Party referred to the failure of the poll as a: “Lack of transparency, breach of private data and interference of the Interior Ministry in the process.”

According to the statement, Saied is going ahead in his attempt to change the Constitution to reinforce his authoritarianism, despite “full failure to violate the will of the people.”

Human Rights Watch: No safety for anyone who criticises Kais Saied

Meanwhile, the Workers’ Party called for adopting a national political authority and a national economy based on human and natural resources, as well as adopting foreign policy aimed at serving just causes.

In January, Saied said that the poll intended to involve the people in the process of democratic transition, while the opposition said that he aims to change the constitution to control all authorities.

On 25 July, 2021, Saied dismissed the government, froze parliament, seized all authorities and cracked down on his critics, returning Tunisia to the pre-revolution era when dictators had ruled it.

Read: Tunisian politician accuses President’s monopoly of power and opposition’s inability to develop