Tunisia's Kais Saied wins landslide reelection, entrenching his power in Arab Spring's birthplace
Tunisia’s President Kais Saied has won reelection in a landslide victory after a campaign that saw opponents jailed alongside journalists, activists and attorneys
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — President Kais Saied won a landslide victory in Tunisia's election Monday, keeping his grip on power after a first term in which opponents were imprisoned and the country's institutions overhauled to give him more authority.
The North African country's Independent High Authority for Elections said Saied received 90.7% of the vote, a day after exit polls showed him with an insurmountable lead in the country known as the birthplace of the Arab Spring more than a decade ago.
“We’re going to cleanse the country of all the corrupt and schemers,” the 66-year-old populist said in a speech at campaign headquarters. He pledged to defend Tunisia against threats foreign and domestic.
That raised alarm among the president's critics including University of Tunis law professor Sghayer Zakraoui, who said Tunisian politics were once again about “the absolute power of a single man who places himself above everyone else and believes himself to be invested with a messianic message.”
