2014 Tunisian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Tunisia on 26 October 2014.[1] Campaigning started on 4 October 2014.[2] They were the first free regular legislative elections since independence in 1956, and the first elections held following the adoption of the new constitution in January 2014, which created a 217-seat Assembly of the Representatives of the People.[3] According to preliminary results, Nidaa Tounes gained a plurality of votes, winning 85 seats in the 217-seat parliament, beating the Ennahda Movement (69 seats) and many smaller parties.

2014 Tunisian parliamentary election

← 2011 26 October 2014 (2014-10-26) 2019 →

All 217 seats to the Assembly of the Representatives of the People
109 seats needed for a majority
Turnout67.7%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Béji Caïd Essebsi Rached Ghannouchi Slim Riahi
Party Nidaa Tounes Ennahda UPL
Last election 37.04%, 89 seats 1.26%, 1 seat
Seats won 86 69 16
Seat change New Decrease 20 Increase 15
Popular vote 1,279,941 947,238 140,873
Percentage 37.56% 27.80% 4.13%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Hamma Hammami Yassine Brahim Imed Daimi
Party Popular Front Afek Tounes CPR
Last election 1.89%, 4 seats 8.71%, 29 seats
Seats won 15 8 4
Seat change New Increase 4 Decrease 25
Popular vote 124,039 102,915 69,894
Percentage 3.64% 3.02% 2.05%

Map showing the plurality of votes of the parties in each Tunisian governorate.
Red voted for Nidaa Tounes and
Blue voted for Ennahdha.

Prime Minister before election

Mehdi Jomaa
Independent

Prime Minister-designate

Habib Essid
Independent

Presidential elections were held a month later on 23 November.[4]

Electoral system edit

The 217 members of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People were elected in 33 constituencies. There were 27 multi-member constituencies in Tunisia varying in size from four to ten seats and electing a total of 199. There were also six overseas constituencies electing a total of 18 seats: two constituencies in France electing five seats each, one three-seat constituency in Italy, a single-member constituency in Germany, a two-member constituency covering the rest of Europe and the Americas, and a two-member constituency covering the Arab world and the rest of the world. Seats were elected by party-list proportional representation, using the largest remainder method.[5]

Opinion polls edit

Poll results are listed in the table below in chronological order, showing the most recent polls last.

Results edit

According to the final results released by the Independent High Authority for Elections,[67] Nidaa Tounes took the lead in the election, winning 86 seats in the 217-seat parliament. Ennahda Movement came second with 69 seats losing 16 seats compared to 2011 elections. The biggest losers were CPR of Moncef Marzouki and Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties who were members of a coalition government formed with Ennahda Movement following 2011 elections, and opposition party Current of Love (formerly Aridha Chaabia). On the other hand, there was a noticeable emergence of smaller parties like the UPL of businessman Slim Riahi with 16 seats, Popular Front with 15 seats and Afek Tounes with 8 seats.

Initially, the Elections Authority decided to sanction Nidaa Tounes in Kasserine electoral district by withdrawing one seat following reported irregularities conducted by partisans.[68] However, the decision was overturned by the administrative court after an appeal by Nidaa Tounes. The ruling took away the only seat obtained by Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties leaving the party with no presence in parliament.[69]

 
Results of the Tunisian parliamentary election 2014 by district.
 
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Nidaa Tounes1,279,94137.5686New
Ennahda Movement947,23827.8069−20
Free Patriotic Union140,8734.1316+15
Popular Front124,0393.6415+11
Afek Tounes102,9153.028+5
Congress for the Republic69,8942.054−25
Democratic Current66,3961.953New
Republican Party54,5621.601−15
People's Movement45,8391.353+1
National Destourian Initiative45,5971.343−2
Current of Love40,4371.192−24
Democratic Alliance Party38,4931.131New
Union for Tunisia25,1020.740New
Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties22,9560.670–20
Wafa Movement21,3920.630New
Destourian Movement Party11,4030.330New
Socialist Party7,8510.230New
Safety Party7,8500.230New
Party of the Voice of the Tunisian People7,8490.230New
Tunisian Movement Party7,1850.210New
Movement of Socialist Democrats7,0800.210–2
Party of Glory6,2580.180New
National Front for Salvation5,7100.171New
List of the Rehabilitation5,5890.161New
Tunisian National Front Party5,5000.160New
Party of Tomorrow5,3100.160New
For the Glory of el-Djerid5,1110.151New
Popular Petition Party5,0230.150New
National Construction Party4,9960.150New
People Want Party4,8020.140New
Tunisian Democratic Youth Federation4,6360.140New
Reform and Development Party4,4000.130New
Unity Party4,0260.120New
Tunisia for All Party3,9950.120New
Social Democratic Path3,9420.121New
Mighty Tunisia3,8380.110New
Tunisian Labour Party3,8370.110New
Carthage's Call Party3,7710.110New
Fulfilling the Project of the Martyr3,6180.110New
Independent Departure Party3,5260.100New
Farmers' Voice Party3,5150.101New
Other parties241,5727.091
Total3,407,867100.002170
Registered voters/turnout5,285,136
Source: CLEA (results) National Democratic Institute (electorate) European Parliament

Reactions edit

Domestic edit

Ennahda's Lotfi Zitoun said the party had "accepted this result and congratulate[s] the winner."[70]

International edit

The result was hailed internationally[71] for its democratic viability as the only one of the major Arab Spring uprisings, including Libya and Egypt, that is not convulsed by instability and turmoil.

In the United States, President Barack Obama hailed the free, fair and non-violent elections as a "milestone," while Secretary of State John Kerry said it was an example of "why Tunisia remains a beacon of hope, not only to the Tunisian people, but to the region and the world."[72]

Other edit

Comparisons were also drawn to holding Tunisia as a model for Lebanon amidst its own turmoil.[73]

Government formation edit

With Nidaa Tounes having won a plurality it had the right to name a prime minister and form a government in coalition. Beji Caid Essebsi said it was too early to talk of a coalition government – including one with Ennahda. Instead he said the 2014 Tunisian presidential election will give direction to the formation of a new government.[71]

On 5 January 2015, Nidaa Tounes nominated independent Habib Essid as Prime Minister and asked him to form a new government. He was chosen over former trade unionist Taieb Baccouche "because he is independent and has experience in the areas of security and the economy," said the speaker of Congress, Mohamed Ennaceur. The nomination of a politician who had served under former autocratic president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali however was widely criticized. Popular Front leader Hamma Hammami stated that with Essid as prime minister, "the real power" would rather be in the presidential palace.[74]

On 23 January 2015, Essid surprisingly presented a minority cabinet including 10 ministers from Nidaa Tounes and three from the liberal Free Patriotic Union, after the other liberal power Afek Tounes was said to have abruptly pulled out of the coalition. Without Afek Tounes, the two parties could, however, only count on 102 of the 217 seats.[75] Both Ennahda and the Popular Front announced to vote against the proposed government.[76]

On 4 February 2015, Essid proposed a unity government consisting of independent politicians, ministers of Nidaa Tounes, the two liberal parties UPL and Afek Tounes, and a minister of the Islamist Ennahda.[77] The next day, Essid's new proposal found a strong majority in the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, when 166 of the 217 legislators approved his new government.[78]

The government lasted until new elections were held in October 2019; a new government formed in February 2020.

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