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Tunisia's election chief resigns over political disagreement

Xinhua, May 9, 2017 Adjust font size:

The President of the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) of Tunisia Chafik Sarsar announced on Tuesday his resignation.

During a press briefing, he stressed that his decision came as the result of some disagreement within the council of the electoral body on certain issues that he did not reveal.

Sarsar said that not only the methodology of work that is in question, but also the "fundamentals of democracy" are threatened.

"It could disrupt the organization of the next municipal elections," he warned.

Two other members, namely Mourad Ben Moulaa and Lamia Zargouni, resigned the same day.

The Tunisian analyst Nizar Makin told Xinhua that some pressure imposed by the liberal Nidaa Tounes and the Islamist party Ennahdha, two powerful allies, could explain the decision of resignation.

According to him, the pressure has a close link with the preparations and the organization of municipal elections.

This resignation comes a few months before Dec. 17, the scheduled date for the first post-revolution municipal elections. Endit