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00:00People marched in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, shouting slogans such as freedom and national dignity.
00:07The protest was billed as a national rally to defend rights and freedoms.
00:12Demonstrators are angry at the Tunisian president, Caïs Saïd, with a presidential election due on the 6th of October.
00:19He will face two rivals, though one has been imprisoned. Other candidates have been excluded.
00:25Look at what has happened before the presidential election,
00:28with three candidates excluded from the race even though they had been reinstated by an administrative court.
00:34This is absolutely not normal, I feel.
00:37What is currently happening in terms of repression and abuse is reminiscent of Ben Ali's last days.
00:44Democratically elected in 2019, President Saïd is seeking a second term.
00:50He granted himself full powers in the summer of 2021 and has been accused of authoritarian drift since then.
01:00Human Rights Watch on its website is critical of the selection process for presidential candidates
01:05and in particular the disqualification by the Tunisian electoral authority of Mr. Saïd's most serious rivals.
01:11The commission's members are appointed by the president.
01:14The commission says it's neutral.
01:16A member speaking last month explained the decision to exclude candidates.
01:22The main problem was to do with endorsements.
01:26The conditions required for the endorsements were not met according to the law.
01:33Saïd denies accusations made against him.
01:36He says he is fighting traitors, mercenaries and the corrupt.