Tunisians vote for parliament amid economic, democracy vows

By BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA and BARBARA SURK
Associated Press

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisians are voting for a new parliament to the backdrop of a dire economic crisis and concerns of democracy backsliding in the North African country — the cradle of Arab Spring protests a decade ago. Opposition parties are boycotting the polls, including the Salvation Front coalition that the popular Ennahda party is part of. They say the vote is part of President Kais Saied’s efforts to consolidate power. Saied has already stripped the legislature of powers, curbed the independence of judiciary and changed the electoral law. It reduces the number of lawmakers from 217 to 161. They will be elected directly instead of via a party list — a measure that makes it harder to elect women.