Tunisia to hold delayed municipal elections in 2018

TUNIS, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi issued Tuesday a decree calling for finally holding municipal elections on May 6, 2018, a date delayed twice.

"The extension of the municipal elections date for May 6, 2018, remains a sovereign decision of the Independent High Authority for Elections Council (ISIE) far from any pressure from any political party," Mohamed Tlili Mansri, the president of the Tunisian electoral body, told Xinhua, without giving a reason for the delay.

The date was last delayed from Dec. 17, 2017 to March 25, 2018.

Mansri said the elections will be "in full respect of the norms of neutrality and transparency," and "will ensure the strengthening of the democratic transition in Tunisia and introduce the concept of the decentralization of power."

Approximately 5,380,000 people have registered to vote until now, according to Mansri.

The ISIE has 27 regional offices spread over the 27 electoral constituencies throughout the Tunisian territory, which comprises 350 municipalities.

The preliminary results of these municipal elections, the first since the popular uprising of January 2011, will be announced before May 9, 2018 and the final results will be announced on June 22 of next year, said the electoral body leader. Enditem