Voting begins in Tunisia's local election amid boycott by political parties

Voting for Tunisia’s first local council elections began on Sunday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Voting started at 8 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) and will last for 10 hours in 4,685 election centres set up in 2,155 regions across the North African country.

More than 9 million voters are expected to cast their ballots in the elections to choose their local representatives, according to data from the Supreme Electoral Council.

The voting will be the first step in determining the composition of a new Local and Regional National Council.

Each of the 279 local councils will send a member chosen by draw to their provincial council. Among the members sent to the provincial councils, 77 council members will serve in the Local and Regional National Council, according to the quota allocated to the regions.

Parties across the political spectrum are boycotting the election, an Anadolu correspondent reported.

Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that has aggravated the country’s economic conditions since 2021 when President Kais Saied ousted the government and dissolved parliament.

OPINION: 6 harsh years lie ahead of Egyptians