Two women join contest for Tunisian presidency

Twenty-six candidates, including two women, have been approved for Tunisia’s presidential election next month, the commission overseeing the vote said yesterday.

The body rejected the applications of 71 other hopefuls wanting to run for the country’s top office on September 15.

Tunisia’s election was brought forward after the death of Beji Caid Essebsi last month. He was the country’s first democratically elected president and took office after an uprising removed Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after 22 years.

It will be the third free election in Tunisia since the 2011 unrest that removed Mr Ben Ali.

Tunisia was the spark for the revolts that toppled several veteran leaders in North Africa and the Middle East.

Among the candidates approved for Tunisia’s presidential race are: Prime Minister Youssef Chahed; former PM Mehdi Jomaa; the vice president of the moderate Islamist party Ennahda, Abdelfattah Mourou; and Defence Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi.

Former Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki and Nabil Karoui, businessman and owner of the private Nessma TV channel, will also run.

The two women candidates are former tourism minister Salma Loumi and Abir Moussi, a staunch supporter of Mr Ben Ali.

Tunisia’s president controls foreign and defence policy, governing alongside a prime minister chosen by parliament who has authority over domestic affairs.

Almost 100 candidates applied, although political experts believe just a handful will have a realistic chance of getting elected.