For the second time in a row, the High Independent Election Commission (HIEC) has extended the registration for this November’s elections until the end of August.

The second extension came as a response to the weak voter registration turnout compared to the expected number of voter registrants by July 23, the original final date for registration.  The decision for an extension was a result of negotiations amongst various political parties and HIEC-mediated by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT).

But is an extension constitutional?

 For the second time in a row, the High Independent Election Commission (HIEC) has extended the registration for this November’s elections until the end of August.

The second extension came as a response to the weak voter registration turnout compared to the expected number of voter registrants by July 23, the original final date for registration.  The decision for an extension was a result of negotiations amongst various political parties and HIEC-mediated by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT).

But is an extension constitutional?

Ahmed Najib Chebbi, the head of the Republican Party, a liberal party, said: “The extension of the voters’ registration period is a violation to the provisions of the Constitution and is against the public interest.” 

Yet Nidaa Tounes Party, a centrist party, and the Popular Front, a coalition of leftist parties, demanded the extension of the registration period and the postponement of elections, if necessary, in order to allow better organization of the elections and in a way which would lead to a larger number of participants.

The Congress Party for the Republic, a centrist party, and the Ennahda Movement, a right wing party, denounced calls for the postponement of the elections and stressed the need to respect HIEC’s decisions. 

Nationwide awareness campaign

During the month of Ramadan and its special programmes and series, many advertisements and cartoon figures appeared on different TV stations as well as radio stations to urge people to register to vote. 

After Iftar, huge trucks with big screens invaded the cities’ streets to reach to those who abandoned their TVs and went to coffee shops to spend their Ramadan evenings.

The awareness campaign is the biggest ever in Tunisia, according to specialists in communication, but the campaign, even after the first extension of the registration period from July 23 until July 29, did not succeed in convincing more than 800,000 Tunisians to register their names to vote in the presidential and legislative elections. 

According to the latest figures, the total number of registered voters is less than five million out of seven million eligible voters.

HIEC taking heat

“Tunisians are hesitant and not enthusiastic about participating,” says Nabil Bavon, an HIEC member. He believes this reluctance is a prevailing mood among the old as well as the young Tunisians, especially among those with low levels of education.

A number of politicians blamed HIEC for not exerting enough effort in making people aware of the importance of registration before the start of the election process. Critics also find fault with the timing chosen for the start of the registration process— the hot weather and fasting during Ramadan.

HIEC is now sending teams to coffee shops and restaurants to convince people to register, but even this endeavor hasn’t been effective and there hasn’t been a tangible increase in the number of registered voters.

Lack of faith in politicians?

Rachid Ghannouchi, head of the Ennahda Movement, the wining Islamic party in the previous election, blames voter apathy on the Tunisian media, which he says “demonized politicians.”

Correspondents met with a number of young people who said the electoral process was: “An attempt to reach power and politicians’ endeavors to sell and buy Tunisians in order to reach power.”

Some observers attribute the decline in confidence to the continued hikes in prices, the decline in employment opportunities as well as the growing phenomenon of terrorism.

Support from civil society and political parties

Given the weak participation in the elections held in October 2011, HIEC decided to give those who didn’t participate in the first elections, which were held after the February 14 revolution, the chance to take part by giving them more time to register their names in the election lists. 

The decision was quickly embraced by the different civil society organizations and political parties, who did not spare any effort to make people aware of the importance of these elections as a key event in the history of the country. As a result, civil society organizations hung posters and distributed leaflets urging their members to register their names. Some even went as far as knocking on the doors.

The different media outlets contributed to supporting the campaign by broadcasting ads and some even prepared their own awareness materials. 

However, despite all this effort, the numbers of registered voters remained low especially among those who were targeted by campaigns. 

Voter awareness ads have now become a subject of mockery and the target of jokes on social networking sites. The election awareness materials are criticized for a lack of creativity and innovation and being the source of voter reluctance.

There has even been a campaign to boycott the election, called “I Will Not Elect” campaign has been urging people not to participate in the election under the pretext of “the terrible failure of politicians, the spread of poverty and the country’s increased dependence on the West”.

The campaign, however, was counterproductive as demonstrated by the comments posted on its Facebook page.