Tunisia will see three television debates next month between candidates for the early September 15 presidential elections, for the first time in the country’s history.
The debates will be organized by state television, the Independent High Electoral Commission, the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication, and the Initiative Organization (Mubadara).
Mohamed Lassaad Dahesh, President and Director General of Tunisian Television, told a press conference yesterday, attended by AFP, that the debates were an attempt to allow the voter to better know each of the candidates, adding that the three debates “will be broadcast simultaneously on a number of local channels, and will take into account the principle of time equality.”
For his part, Nouri Lajmi, head of the audiovisual liaison body, explained that the body and the electoral commission “will closely monitor these debates and will take action in case of violations that could affect the candidate.”
The three debates will take place in the last three days of the election campaign, before the day of electoral silence on September 14.
The debate includes three themes, including questions about the powers of the president, the electoral program, and the candidate's general knowledge. The debate is aimed at "promoting democracy in Tunisia," according to the head of the Initiative Organization.
The early presidential elections will be held in Tunisia after the death of President Beji Kaid Essebsi, the first democratically elected president by universal suffrage in the country's modern history.
On a different note, the United States has agreed to give Tunisia $335 million in five-year grants to support a democratic transition, Reuters reported on Thursday. The program will be funded by the US Agency for International Development.
