On Sunday, the President of Tunisia, Kais Saied, carried out a major cabinet overhaul, including changes to the foreign and defense ministers, according to a statement posted on Facebook. The reshuffle, which replaced 19 ministers and three state secretaries, follows the recent dismissal of the former prime minister.
The announcement made on August 25, 2024, provided no further details. This reshuffle occurs as the country prepares for presidential elections set for October 6. Saied, elected in 2019, has been consolidating his power since a significant shift in 2021.
Kais Saied is pursuing a second term in office, describing his campaign as part of a “liberation and self-determination” effort to create a new republic.
Meanwhile, several of his political opponents and critics are either in prison or facing prosecution. Recently, it was reported that Tunisian authorities have targeted at least eight potential candidates for the upcoming October election.
The country is heading into the election period with heightened repression of dissent and limited checks on Saied’s power. Additionally, key opposition figure Abir Moussi, who has been incarcerated since October, received a two-year prison sentence under a “false news” law shortly after filing her presidential candidacy through her legal representatives.
Among those currently in custody are Issam Chebbi, the leader of the centrist Al Joumhouri party, and Ghazi Chaouchi, head of the social-democratic Democratic Current party, both charged with “plotting against the state.”
Critics argue that the authorities have effectively eliminated nearly all serious contenders for the presidency, making the upcoming election appear merely symbolic. Presently, only two candidates—former parliament member Zouhair Maghzaoui, 59, and Azimoun leader Ayachi Zammel—are set to challenge Saied.
Recent reports indicate that a court in Tunis has placed the treasurer of the Azimoun party, led by Zammel, in pre-trial detention for alleged “falsification” of financial records. It is not yet clear if this will impact Zammel’s campaign.
To date, 14 candidates have been disqualified from the race after failing to secure sufficient signatures. Some have faced accusations of forging signatures, leading to prison sentences, while others claim they were unofficially barred due to difficulties in obtaining a necessary clean criminal record.
Earlier this month, Saied removed Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani and appointed Kamel Madouri, the former social affairs minister, as his successor.
