Tunisia’s President Saied wins second term after cracking down on the opposition

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s President Kais Saied won re-election in a landslide victory after a campaign season that saw his opponents jailed alongside journalists, activists and attorneys.

The North African country’s Independent High Authority for Elections said Monday evening that Saied had won 90.7% of the vote — a reflection of how his supporters participated in Sunday’s race while the majority of his detractors chose to boycott.

His closest challenger, businessman Ayachi Zammel, won 7.4% of the vote after sitting in prison for the majority of campaign season facing multiple prison sentences for election-related crimes.

The election was Tunisia’s third since the 2011 Arab Spring, when protests for “bread, freedom and dignity” led to the ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.