- Title: Wife of jailed Tunisian presidential candidate demands his release
- Date: 6th October 2019
- Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (OCTOBER 6, 2019) (REUTERS) POLLING STATION VOTERS QUEUING VOTERS WAITING TO VOTE VARIOUS OF VOTER REGISTERING / DIPPING FINGER IN INDELIBLE INK VOTER AT VOTING BOOTH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WIFE OF JAILED PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NABIL KAROUI, SALWA SMAOUI, SAYING: "This is a good position from him (Kais Saied to not hold presidential campaign) however I call on everyone to demand from the judiciary and from any ruling coalition the release of Nabil Karoui for there to be real equal opportunity (in presidential election)." VARIOUS OF VOTERS CASTING BALLOTS VOTER AT VOTING BOOTH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEADER OF MODERATE ISLAMIST ENNAHDA PARTY, RACHED GHANNOUCHI, SAYING: "Political science relating to transitioning democratic states is that when an emerging democracy holds four free and fair elections, it is considered to have graduated. This election is considered the turning point in our democracy and I hope it is completed in the best form, with a high turnout for the sake of Tunisian democracy and so as to transition from an emerging democracy to a stable democracy." VOTER AT VOTING BOOTH VOTER DIPPING FINGER IN INDELIBLE INK VARIOUS OF VOTERS CASTING BALLOTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VOTER, SANAA GHABR, SAYING: "I hope (parliament) will not be like it was before, but instead will take decisions instead of just talking, and will solve the most important issues: poverty, infrastructure and health, in addition to the corruption cases, all of which has to be resolved. To take it one thing at a time and not just talk about it." VARIOUS OF VOTERS WALKING IN AND OUT OF POLLING STATION
- Embargoed: 20th October 2019 16:34
- Keywords: Tunisia Parliamentary Election Nabil Karoui Wife Ennahda Rached Ghannouchi
- Location: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- City: TUNIS, TUNISIA
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZYLH6V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Wife of jailed presidential candidate Nabil Karoui called on the judiciary to order the release of her husband who is to contest next week's presidential runoff vote from a prison cell.
Salwa Smaoui spoke to reporters in Tunis after voting in the country's parliamentary election which has so far seen a low turnout, with no indication of any clear winners.
Weeks before the presidential vote, Karoui was detained over tax evasion and money laundering charges made by a transparency watchdog three years ago, which he denies, and has spent the entire election period behind bars.
However, his success in the first round of the presidential election along with the independent Kais Saied, a retired law professor with conservative social views, has put pressure on the established parties.
Saied has suspended campaigning, saying he does not want to gain an unfair advantage over Karoui, who has not been able to meet voters or give any interviews so far from his cell.
(Production: Seham Eloraby, Sarah Duffy) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
