Tunisian voters have been heading to polling stations across the country to elect a new parliament amid a political crisis in the North African country.
The early polls are the latest step in a series of exceptional measures taken by President Kais Saied, which started in July 2021 by ousting the government, dissolving parliament, and drafting a new constitution.
Polls opened on Saturday at 8 AM local time (0700 GMT) and are set to close at 6 PM (1700 GMT).
Around 9.2 million voters are eligible to cast ballots.
A total of 1,058 candidates, including 120 women, are running for seats in the 161-seat parliament.
Tunisians living abroad cast their votes already, on Thursday.
Voting in the capital Tunis, Saied called on Tunisians to take part in the polls.
“With your awareness, we will overcome challenges and move forward to make a new history,” he said.
Election commission chief Farouk Bouasker, for his part, said the voting process is taking place in a “transparent manner.”
“The number of observers taking part in the polls exceeds those who took part in the (July constitutional) referendum. This is an indication of transparency,” he added.
Saturday’s parliamentary elections were boycotted by several major political parties, including the Ennahda movement, Heart of Tunisia Party, and Movement Party.
While Saied insists that his measures are meant to “save” the country, critics have accused him of orchestrating a coup.
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