The Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM) expresses its deep concern with the Tunisian Independent Higher Authority for Elections’ (ISIE) further restrictions on nonpartisan citizen election observer groups that attempted to monitor the October 6, 2024 presidential election. Following GNDEM’s earlier statement in August addressing the denial of accreditation for I Watch, the ISIE raised allegations and expanded restrictions to include several other electoral observation groups, including GNDEM member Mourakiboun. This is the first election in Tunisia to take place without the presence of these independent citizen observation organizations since 2011. The refusal to accredit nonpartisan citizen observers hampers the rights of the people of Tunisia to provide independent oversight over their country’s elections.

Prior to the election, nonpartisan citizen observers repeatedly denounced the attempts to deny their accreditation to observe the electoral process as well as their right to conduct a Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT). The ISIE’s decision to block their efforts has hindered the nation’s democratic development and weakened the public’s faith in the electoral process. Attempts by election officials to dispute the credibility and independence of nonpartisan election monitors harms confidence in the electoral process and violates the rights of election observers.

For the last 13 years, nonpartisan citizen observer groups have played a crucial role in defending the integrity of elections and the right of citizens to exercise their vote in Tunisia. Their absence from the 2024 presidential election due to denial of accreditation is a concerning precedent and calls into question the integrity of the electoral process.

As the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders stated, election observers, including nonpartisan citizen election observers, are human rights defenders who serve to protect civil and political rights of citizens and that “member states are urged to take all necessary steps to establish conditions that allow national and international election observers to effectively do their work, and to protect them from any violence, threats, retaliation, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of their legitimate exercise of their rights and freedoms.” GNDEM condemns actions to delegitimize election monitoring organizations and to prevent them from observing the elections.

The network will continue to support nonpartisan citizen observers in their mission to uphold democratic values in Tunisia and stand in solidarity with all election monitors in their efforts to promote transparency, inclusivity and accountability in elections.