The Mourakiboun network, an organisation focusing on electoral issues, said in a statement Tuesday that the Independent High Authority for the Elections (ISIE) "has granted itself major prerogatives in the process of redrawing the territorial boundaries of electoral constituencies, without recourse to any legal or regulatory measures". It pointed out that the delimitation of constituencies and boundaries goes beyond the electoral issue and has other dimensions, notably political. Mourakiboun said these prerogatives granted to the ISIE "have no legal or regulatory basis", explaining that Article 10 of Decree No. 2023-10 of March 8, 2023 on the organisation of municipal elections and the composition of regional and district councils clearly stipulates that the boundaries of electoral constituencies are to be determined by decree. In other words, "the executive is in charge of the process, not the electoral body, which has a consultative role afterwards". Mourakiboun said Decree-Law no. 2023-10 grants the electoral body limited prerogatives, in particular the division of delegations into electoral constituencies. "The ISIE has no authority whatsoever to proceed with the new territorial division of electoral constituencies", the organisation points out. The electoral body did not involve civil society working in the electoral sector in this major process, "which is a big question mark," says Mourakiboun. The network examined the direct impact of the territorial division of constituencies on the electoral process as a whole, as it is one of the most important elements influencing the outcome of the elections, along with the voting system.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
