### Landslide Victory for Tunisian President Saied Amid Election Controversy

President Kais Saied has claimed a staggering victory in Tunisia's recent election, securing 90.7% of the vote, according to the Independent High Authority for Elections. This overwhelming win extends Saied's tenure and consolidates the power he has amassed during his first term, during which political opponents were jailed and national institutions were significantly reshaped to enhance his control.

"The quest to cleanse the nation of corruption and scheming will continue," declared the 66-year-old leader in a defiant speech at his campaign headquarters. Saied vowed to safeguard Tunisia against both internal and external threats, a pledge that has raised concerns among his detractors.

Critics voiced alarm over the election's outcome, likening Saied's dominance to the era of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the autocrat ousted during the Arab Spring uprisings. University of Tunis law professor Sghayer Zakraoui highlighted the resemblance, noting that Saied's victory margin surpassed even Ben Ali’s last election result in 2009, just before he fled the country.

Businessman Ayachi Zammel, Saied’s nearest rival, garnered a mere 7.4% of the vote while spending most of the campaign in prison on multiple election-related charges. The election also saw a notably low voter turnout, with only 28.8% of the 9.7 million eligible voters participating, indicating widespread apathy.

Saied’s strongest potential challengers, imprisoned since the previous year, were barred from running, while lesser-known contenders faced jailing or exclusion from the ballot. Opposition parties boycotted the election, condemning it as manipulated and decrying Tunisia's shift towards authoritarianism.

Despite recent history of political compromise and significant reforms post-2011, Tunisia faces a precarious political climate. The nation, once lauded for enacting a new constitution and receiving a Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to broker political peace, now grapples with economic struggles, political instability, and increasing oppression.

Saied, elected in 2019 as a political outsider with promises to tackle corruption, has since leveraged his position to consolidate presidential powers. In 2021, he declared a state of emergency, suspended parliament, and introduced a new constitution that centralized executive power, actions described by critics as a coup. Although the new constitution was approved by a public referendum, it saw diminishing voter participation.

Since then, repression has intensified, with prominent political figures and civil society leaders being jailed on various charges, among them Abir Moussi and Rached Ghannouchi. Authorities have increasingly targeted lawyers, journalists, activists, and migrants under broad accusations of subversion and threats to state security.

The election process itself has come under scrutiny, with the electoral commission, composed entirely of presidential appointees, rejecting court orders to reinstate disqualified candidates. Such actions have prompted international worry, particularly from Europe, which emphasizes cooperation with Tunisia on migration control across the central Mediterranean.

As the political landscape in Tunisia continues to evolve under Saied's robust leadership, the future of the nation remains uncertain.