Tunisian president nominates himself for a third term of office
Tunisia, Politics, 9/9/1999

Well-informed sources in Tunis said on Tuesday that Tunisian President Zein al-Abidin Bin Ali will, on Friday, submit his nomination for the presidential elections due on October 24, to the committee of investigations at the Tunisian parliament.

Bin Ali, who assumed the presidency in Tunisia in 1987 after quitting former President al-Habib Bourgeiba, will compete with the People's Unity Party and the Unionist Democratic Federation according to a special amendment in the constitution which paved the way for multiple nominations for the presidential elections. Bin Ali was the only candidate in the elections which took place in 1989 and 1994.

Sources at the leaderships of the PUP and DUP reported that the leaders of the two parties, Muhammad Balhah Omar and Abdul Rahman al-Talili, will submit their nomination to the parliamentary committee, after Bin Ali as a sign of "appreciation" for him.

According to the special amendment of item 40 of the constitution, the right to a nomination for the presidential election is limited to leaders of licensed parties that are represented in the parliament under the condition that the candidate not to be over 70 year old, as well as having served more than five years on top of his party. There are six licensed parties in Tunisia, in addition to the Democratic Constitutional Coalition party which is led by President Bin Ali.

The leader of the Socialist Democrats Movement (nine seats in the parliament), Ismael Bu Lehya, will not nominate himself because he has not yet spent five years in the presidency of his party, nor will the secretary general of the Renewal Movement (the former Communist Party), who is over 70.

The leaders of the Socialist Coalition and the Liberation Social Party, lawyers Ahmad Najib al-Shabi and Munir al-Baji, will not run because their parties are not represented at the parliament.

Previous Stories:
  Tunisian parliament decides on constitutional adjustment for better elections   (7/1/1999)
  Preparations for the Tunisian elections   (5/5/1999)
  Tunisia modifies election laws   (12/9/1997)

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