Editing Politics of Tunisia (section)

===2009 national elections===
{{Main|2009 Tunisian general election}}
The Tunisian national elections of 2009, overseen by the Interior Ministry and held on October 25, 2009, elected candidates for president and legislative offices. During the campaign, speeches by candidates were aired on Tunisian radio and television stations.<ref>[http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2009/10/13/feature-01 Tunisian candidates kick off campaigns], Magharebia.com, 2009.</ref> Participation was 89% of resident citizens and 90% of citizens living abroad. In the presidential vote, Ben Ali soundly defeated his challengers, Mohamed Bouchiha (PUP), Ahmed Inoubli (UDU) and Ahmed Ibrahim (Ettajdid Movement) for a fifth term in office. His 89% of the vote was slightly lower than in the 2004 election.<ref>[http://www.tunisiaonline.com/elections2004/nouvelles/251004-1.html Results of presidential elections] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127064653/http://www.tunisiaonline.com/elections2004/nouvelles/251004-1.html |date=2010-11-27 }}, TunisiaOnline.com, 25 October 2004.</ref> In the parliamentary elections, the RCD received 84% of the vote for 161 constituency seats. The MDS won 16 seats under the proportional representation system, followed by the PUP with 12 seats. Fifty-nine women were elected to legislative seats.<ref>[http://www.observatoire-elections2009.org.tn/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=93 "Final Results for the 2009 Legislative Elections"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313150033/http://www.observatoire-elections2009.org.tn/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=93 |date=2012-03-13 }} Republic of Tunisia: National Observatory of Presidential and Legislative Elections, 2009</ref>

The election was criticized by opposition parties and some international observers for limitations placed on non-incumbents. In one instance, the Ettajdid party's weekly publication, ''Ettarik al-Jadid'', was seized by authorities for violating campaign communications laws.<ref>[https://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/10/23/tunisia-elections-atmosphere-repression "Tunisia: Elections in an Atmosphere of Repression"], Sarah Leah Whitson, Human Rights Watch, October 23, 2009.</ref> Meanwhile, a delegation from the African Union Commission praised the election for taking place with "calm and serenity".<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |url=http://www.tunisiaonlinenews.com/au-observers-mission-october-25-elections-in-tunisia-held-in-calm-and-serenity/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716145554/http://www.tunisiaonlinenews.com/au-observers-mission-october-25-elections-in-tunisia-held-in-calm-and-serenity/ |archive-date=2011-07-16 |website=Tunisia Online News |date= October 28, 2009 |title=AU observers mission: " October 25 elections in Tunisia held in calm and serenity" }}</ref> Prior to the 2009 election, Tunisia amended its constitution to allow more candidates to run for president, allowing the top official from each political party to compete for the presidency regardless of whether they held seats in parliament.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8321452.stm "Tunisia's image belies poll control"], BBC News, Rana Jawad, 23 October 2009.</ref>