10/26/14

INCOMPETENCE OR MALICE?

Dear Friends,

It has been already two days that we, Tunisians abroad, have started voting. What should have been a democratic celebration is turning out to be a nightmare for many of us. But YOU can take action (scroll down for this information).

Tunisian citizens abroad encountered many difficulties and observers from ATIDE (click here for the report) and MOURAKIBOUN (click here for the report) have confirmed many irregularities. What's troubling is not only the great number of such irregularities, but the fact they show similarities and same suspicious patterns. This could lead to the conclusion that there is a methodic and organized stratagem in place and maybe an infiltration or corruption of the database of the ISIE - which has refused to have its information system audited by a third party as ATIDE suggested. Is that a sign that they already knew about their glitches and were not courageous enough to face their problems? Some voters registered to vote in one specific office in the US found themselves registered in Canada! In France, a citizen living in Grenoble was told he was registered in Grombalia, Tunisia!

The ISIE could be incompetent because of lack of time and lack of experience, but is it possible to that point? The Houston polling station address has been changed and the ISIE didn't update its website accordingly. They communicated through Facebook! The High Independent Elections Authority of the REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA uses only Facebook as its official mean of communication and leaves the voter with two confusing and conflicting pieces of information!!! Did the troika-controlled Assembly vote and select the ISIE members based on their incompetence on purpose? Akher Khaber has revealed that the ISIE was infiltrated. In fact, a few months ago, under the pressure of civil society the ISIE let go an influential member of the IRIE France because he Is not independent and has ties to one of the Troika's parties.

Adding insult to injury, the President of the ISIE, Mr. Chafik Sarsar, in his latest reaction to the hundreds of testimonies from Tunisians abroad who have been denied their constitutional right to vote, downplayed the seriousness of the incidents and called the reports "illusory".

Are we going to abandon our constitutional right? Take action! Send your claim to ATIDE at this email address: defautliste@gmail.com. Click here for the association's explanation of what should be the content of your claim email.

Ta7ya Tunes!

The Voter Education Committee

-Mouna Ben Garga, TCC-ISIE Liaison irie.washington@yahoo.com

-Amine Kallala, TCC Voter Education Program Director a_kallala@yahoo.fr