Tunisia

Tunisia held presidential debates ahead of its Sept. 15 presidential election, the first time any Arab country had leading candidates debate policy and defend their records. The debates were the result of five years of campaigning by the Munathara Initiative, a Tunisia-based organization, and the

On Friday night, weeks after Karoui and Saied took the top two places in the first round vote, Tunisians will see them debate face-to-face for the first time.

The release means a televised debate can now take place between Saied and Karoui, who missed Tunisia’s first ever such event between the 26 candidates who ran in the initial round of the election.

Jailed Nabil Karoui's ongoing silence is deafening the electoral debate. He must be allowed to address the Tunisian people

A decision to release Karoui from prison, temporarily or otherwise, to take part in live, in-studio debates rests solely with the Tunisian judiciary. It remains the best hope to ensure the principle of equal opportunity.

Tunisia's court of appeal Tuesday rejected a fresh request to free jailed presidential candidate Nabil Karoui, his lawyer said, less than two weeks before the media magnate is expected to contest an election runoff.

It was the first true presidential debate in the Arab world, yet the front-runner was nowhere to be seen. Nabil Karoui was not entirely to blame for his absence from the stage, though. The businessman and media mogul is campaigning to be president of Tunisia from jail.

While political debates have become fatiguingly familiar for Americans, in Tunisia they have been something else entirely – historic.

The Independent High Authority for Elections (IHAE) approved Monday a request to hold a Televised talk with presidential candidate Nabil Karoui, head of Heart of Tunisia Party, who is now at Mornaguia Prison.

Either way, the past three days, as Tunisia’s presidential candidates tried to persuade voters in a series of debates, were historic for the country and the region.

Moreover, even though the turnouts have significantly declined in each one of the three consecutive elections reflecting on voter frustration with the existing class of politicians and political parties, for the first time in the Arab world there has been a televised debate between the candidates

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