The head of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, Zied Dabbar, has expressed concern about the future of journalism in Tunisia.
In a statement released on Saturday, he described the media sector in the country as being “in a state of disaster”, saying that 80 per cent of media institutions are at risk of closure in the coming years.
He held the Tunisian authorities responsible for the deterioration of the media sector, stating that they “do not engage with any proposals or initiatives for reform.”
He warned that the local media will be covering the upcoming presidential elections, scheduled for 6 October, without a regulatory body in place, namely the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HAICA), while the Independent High Authority for Elections monopolises all powers, including the monitoring of media coverage, which is unacceptable.
Dabbar explained that the Tunisian journalists’ union has prepared a guiding document for media coverage of the presidential elections to assist journalists. The union will also undertake monitoring during the voting process, “relying on journalists’ awareness and commitment to professional codes to ensure balanced and fair coverage for all candidates, in line with professional standards.”
Since his election in 2019, President Kais Saied has consolidated power in Tunisia, notably changing the constitution in 2021. He is expected to stand for re-election on 6 October. Both Tunisian and international human rights organisations have strongly criticised Saied’s regime, claiming it “suppresses freedoms in the country,” although the president repeatedly insists that “freedoms are guaranteed.”
Tunisia ranked 118th out of 180 countries in this year’s World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.
The organisation has warned that constitutional changes have granted Saied “extensive legislative powers at the expense of the checks and balances that were previously in place, undermining the separation of powers and posing an important threat to the achievements of the Tunisian revolution, particularly in terms of press freedom.”
They also expressed concerns over Decree No. 54, issued in September 2022, which they described as “a new threat to press freedom in the country.”
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