At least 14,000 Tunisians excluded from voting in upcoming elections

[News_Editor]

At least 14,000 Tunisians excluded from voting in upcoming elections

2011-06-28 02:11:30 GMT+7 (ICT)

TUNIS (BNO NEWS) -- Between 14,000 and 18,000 Tunisians will be excluded from voting in the upcoming from National Constituent Assembly's elections due on October 23, the state-run Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) news agency reported on Monday.

Mustapha Tlili, Chairman of the Commission in charge of the elections, said that the individuals barred from participating in the polls were members of the dissolved Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) party and supporters of ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

The Commission alleged that the restriction was implemented under article 15 of the decree-law on the election of the National Constituent Assembly. Tlili said that the decision was not a revenge on those that called the ousted President to bid for a new presidential term in 2014.

"The commission's objective is not to extirpate all those who adhered in the RCD and take revenge on those who harmed the people," Tlili remarked. "The judgment is exclusively stemming from the judiciary system, which explains the secrecy of the commission's work."

The list is being finalized and after completion will be put at the disposal of the High Independent Authority for the Elections. Furthermore, Tlili said that this was a "victory for the Tunisian people and their glorious Revolution."

The number of RCD members barred from the upcoming National Constituent Assembly elections reached between 7,000 and 9,000. An additional 8,000 people were listed as supporters of Ben Ali's proposed new presidential term.

The list of citizens was discussed and examined on Thursday by the High Authority for the Achievement of the Revolution Objectives, Political Reform and Democratic Transition Council.

The Constituent Assembly's elections were originally scheduled for July 24 by caretaker President Foued Mebazaa. However, the High Independent Authority for the Elections postponed the Constituent Assembly's elections until October due to technical and logistic reasons as well as due to the protests and strikes staged across Tunisia.

The elections are considered as the point of transition for Tunisia following the Tunisian Revolution that ousted former President Ben Ali after weeks of violent protests nationwide.

The United Nations estimated that approximately 219 people were killed during the Tunisian mass unrest that began in mid-December. Most of them died after security forces were ordered to fire at them.

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