The administrative court in the capital Tunis has approved the reintegration of a fourth candidate, Abdellatif Mekki, into the presidential election race scheduled for October 6. This decision comes after the court accepted his appeal against the initial rejection of his candidacy.
“The appeal filed by Abdellatif Mekki has been accepted on both procedural and substantive grounds (…). These rulings are final,” stated Faycel Bouguerra, spokesperson for the administrative court, during a press conference.
Mr. Mekki, a former Minister of Health, had his candidacy rejected alongside that of 13 other applicants by the electoral authority (ISIE), which cited insufficient sponsorships, lack of financial guarantees, and non-compliance with nationality criteria as the reasons for the rejections.
The final list of candidates will be announced next week, according to ISIE. Technically, Mr. Mekki is now eligible to run in the election, joining three previously approved candidates, including President Kais Saied, who is seeking a second term.
