Tunisians have stayed away from the polls in record numbers in the first parliamentary election held in the country since a power grab by Kais Saied, the populist president, in July 2021.
Official figures announced by the electoral commission said just 8.8 per cent of registered voters cast a ballot in Saturday’s vote — the lowest turnout since the country rose up against the dictatorial rule of Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
The National Salvation Front, a political alliance that includes the moderate Islamist Nahda, the biggest party in previous parliaments, on Sunday called for Saied to step down and hold early presidential elections. It described the low turnout as an “earthquake” and said Saied had lost his legitimacy.