A farcical election pushes Tunisia towards one-man rule

THE LAST time voters in La Goulette, a suburb of the Tunisian capital, had to pick a representative in parliament, it was a complicated choice. No fewer than 56 parties fielded candidates for their district. They had a rather easier time of it in Tunisia’s parliamentary election on December 17th: only one candidate was on the ballot. It is hard to imagine that there was very much suspense in his campaign headquarters as the results came in.This was the climax of a 17-month power grab led by Kais Saied, the country’s authoritarian president. In July 2021 he suspended much of the constitution and to bar the doors of parliament; he later dismissed its members. He went on to sack judges; install loyalists in key agencies, including the electoral commission; and harass and arrest critics. This summer he hastily shoved through to dilute parliament’s power.