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Tunisians have approved a new constitution granting unchecked powers to the office of President Kais Saied in a referendum marked by low voter turnout. The move has sparked warnings of a dangerous democratic regression in a country facing political and economic crises.
Preliminary results announced by Tunisia’s electoral commission late Tuesday confirmed a foregone conclusion. More than 94 percent of the votes backed the new constitution, which will see sweeping executive powers given to the president and the removal of key checks and balances, including weakening the influence of the country’s parliament and judiciary. The vote was marked by a high abstention rate, with nearly 70 percent of Tunisians boycotting Monday’s referendum, reflecting a mixture of apathy and a lack of faith in the country’s elites in their country’s post-revolutionary future.
Ahead of Tuesday’s announcement by the electoral commission, there was little doubt the “yes” campaign would prevail, according to exit poll forecasts. “Tunisia has entered a new phase,” Saied told celebrating supporters hours after polls closed. “The referendum will allow us to move from a situation of despair to one of hope.”
But Tunisia is facing a major economic crisis aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The North…
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Source : france24
