Tunisia went to the polls on Sunday the 6th of October to elect their representatives to the 217-seat Assembly, a second of such vote since the 2014 adoption of the constitution.
The election came three weeks after the first round of presidential elections where the political elites were shunned.
How Did Tunisians Vote?
41% of its more than seven million eligible voters chose among nearly 16,000 candidates, France24 reported. The election results show a fractured parliament with no party holding the majority of the votes.
The moderate Islamist Ennadha party, led by former exile Rached Ghannouchi, came in first with 52 seats. Ghannouchi was a fierce critic of former President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted in the 2011 revolution.
Media mogul, Nabil Karoui’s Qalb Tounes (Heart of Tunisia) came second with 38 seats. Karoui, who was imprisoned on corruption charges, made it to the second round of the presidential elections.
The Democratic Current party came third with 22 seats, followed by the Dignity coalition with 21 seats. Other parties, as well as independents, won the remaining 84 seats.
Coalition of Blocs
The party with the most votes gets first dibs at forming the new government, however, with less than the 109 seats needed for a majority, the Ennhada party will not be able to form a government without allying with other parties.
Ghannouchi has ruled out forming an alliance with the Heart of Tunisia party. He reportedly said in an interview, “Ennahda will not form a government with the Heart of Tunisia party, as Ennahda has already announced support to the party’s [Heart of Tunisia’s] rival candidate Kais Saied in the presidential run-off.”
According to reports from Anadolu Agency, the Democratic Current party (22 seats) and the People’s Movement Party (21 seats) are also opposed to forming a government with Ennhada, accusing it of failing in previous governments.
However, the Dignity coalition (21 seats) welcome an alliance with Ennhada, but their combined number still falls short of a majority.
The possibility of a political deadlock is an unnecessary hurdle in a country dealing with a number of social issues. Rising unemployment and inflation are top issues which the government has to deal with.
