Deadline for presidential election should not exceed October 23, 2024, says ISIE Board member

Tunis: The deadline for holding the presidential election should not exceed October 23, 2024, according to the constitutional deadlines, said member of the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) Board Najla Abrougui.The announcement of the official date of polling day for this election depends on the writ of election issued by the President of the Republic at least three months before the end of the presidential term, she added.The calendar for the presidential election will be drawn up in the next few days, Abrougui told TAP on Saturday, underlining that the constitutional and legal deadlines remain open.She explained that as the authority has full jurisdiction over the elections, even out of the electoral period (set at two months and 22 days), it will monitor anything that could question the integrity and transparency of the electoral process, and will deal with all offences and excesses, which will be referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office, she said.In another connection, Abrougui ind icated that the ISIE is endeavouring to amend regulatory decision no. 2014-20 of August 8, 2014, laying down the rules for election campaign funding, its procedures and modalities, as part of efforts to combat foreign funding and suspicious funds or funds from unknown sources for individuals, political parties and media outlets."The grounds of professional secrecy or banking secrecy will not be accepted by the ISIE," she pointed out, deeming that the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank, the Financial Analysis Commission and the banks are obliged to provide all the data requested by the electoral authority as part of its work to combat suspicious funds.The ISIE's regional offices will begin updating the electoral register on May 20, and the ISIE will continue the automated registration process for citizens.A new mobile application will be launched in the next two weeks to give citizens access to all election-related information and make it easier to update or check their polling place, she added.Sou rce: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse