Politics

Tunisia-Farouk Bouasker: ISIE refuses to play the role of political police

Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the Tunisian Islamist Ennahda party, checks his ballot behind a booth at a polling station in Ben Arous near the capital Tunis on May 6, 2018, as the country votes in the first free municipal elections since the 2011 revolution. - Tunisians head to the polls on May 6 in what is seen as another milestone on the road to democracy in the birthplace of the Arab Spring, despite muted interest in the poll as struggles with corruption and poverty continue.Though parliamentary and presidential votes have taken place since the fall of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, municipal polls have been delayed four times due to logistic, administrative and political deadlocks. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)

ISIE president “Independent Higher Authority for Elections” Farouk Bouasker, talked about the referendum. He told National Radio that the positions of ISIE members have been misinterpreted and that the body is neither a court nor a public prosecutor’s office, and hence rejects to be perceived as political police…

“No member has stated that the ISIE will bring certain people to justice (…). Anyone can participate in the campaign. All you have to do is submit a declaration and not a request for authorization. The ISIE will not request to know the political opinions of the party that wants to partake in the referendum campaign (…). There is no intention of restricting the freedom acquired since 2011 (…). We are not going to ask people to tell what they think of the Constitution”, said the boss of the ISIE.