Farouk Bouasker in Tunisia, Kais Said’s man in Isie – Jeune Afrique

The now seemingly all-powerful Independent High Authority for Elections (Isie) rejects criticism from its rivals, particularly the High Independent Authority for Audiovisual Communications (Haica), which has failed to fulfill its regulatory role. media police” during the campaign for the first round of the December 17 legislative elections.

Magistrate Farouk Bouasker, who was appointed by the head of state Qays Said, has undeniably left his mark on the institution he has led since last May and has given more prerogatives than in the texts. Attempting to sidestep any internal dissent, he single-handedly led the process of organizing the elections in accordance with the Electoral Code, giving Isie the upper hand over all operations. A method similar in all respects to that adopted by Kais Saeed.

President’s loyalist

Farouk Bouasker is also one of the loyal men of the president. Despite repeated hiccups, he remains confident, especially when the preliminary results of the July 25, 2022 referendum are announced and the first round of legislative elections on December 17 is announced. follows. After telling legislatures on election night that the voter turnout was 8.8%, and blaming the low percentage on “corruption and lack of political funding,” Bouasker finally announced it the next day. rate was 11.2%. To justify these disturbances, he cited network outages and late closing of some polling stations. Explanations that struggle to convince and tend to discredit Isie. Mohamed Tlili Mansri, a spokesman for the body and a member, confirmed that Bouasker’s words were “not taken”.[ai]just like him.”

The president of Isie knows the house he leads particularly well, as he has been a member since its creation in 2011. Since then, he has been involved in the organization of all elections in the country. Tempted in the early days of his career as a diplomat, Bouasquer finally opted for law after passing the competition for the Institute of the Supreme Judiciary (ISM), the results of which reached him before the Business Institute. , he also passed the exam.

Born in 1979 to a farming family in Zaouiet Sousse near Msaken (Sahel), he retained his taste for the land and his passion for hunting from an early age. Raised by a father who believed that success was achieved through education, he attended the Faculty of Law in Tunis and later the Faculty of Law in Sousse. Over the years, he will find a certain Kays Said as a teacher after the 2011 revolution.

Very political judge

A reserved man, this father of three led his career as a lawyer, which took a more political turn in two years. As a judge, he mainly practiced in Sousse, the “Pearl of the Sahel”, where he was one of the region’s well-known figures, as was one of his uncles, Ridha Grira, who became defense minister under the chairmanship of Zine el. Abidin Ben Ali.

In 2016, Farouk Bouasker was assigned to Kasserine, which deals with terrorist incidents that are a real threat to the country’s stability. In addition to his duties as a judge, which he considers it an honor to never speak in public, he also enters politics. After the 2011 revolution, the municipal council of Zaouiet Sousse, his birthplace, was dissolved. Bouasker who took advantage of one solid reputation – and local family support – becomes acting mayor. When he started this position in 2013, it was for an indefinite period. He will stay until 2018.

The democratic transition is, for Bouasker, as for many lawyers, both an incredible opportunity and an apprenticeship that strengthens the transition from Isie. He cut his teeth preparing for the Constituent Assembly elections in this body in the Sousse division in 2011. During the 2014 presidential and legislative elections, he will be a trainer in the electoral process. In 2017, he became the president of the Sousse division. In the same year, he joined the Isie council as a representative of the magisterial body. Two years later, he became the institution’s first vice president before Qais Saeed appointed him president in May 2022.

To the ministry?

Bouasker can pride himself on being a part of all the discussions within Isie and knowing all the issues he faces at his fingertips. In his latest remarks, he also avoided mentioning that he was one of the leaders of Isie, whom he described as “distorted by dirty money” during the previous elections. “At that time, he did not express himself much, and if he did not like what was happening, he could have resigned like his predecessor Chafik Sarsar,” emphasizes one of the Murakibun members under the cover of anonymity. network (former Tunisian Democratic Awakening Association, established in 2011), which has set itself the task of monitoring election processes, assessing their transparency and fairness.

But now the era of discretion seems well and truly over for Farouk Bouasker, who has been overexposed in the media. His every word is scrutinized. The judge, who those who have met him say has little tolerance for criticism, will have political ambitions, according to several of his relatives. He hopes to get the post of minister in the next personnel change.

However, he could suffer from some of his stances, sometimes extreme, and some clumsiness. Posted by Isie on December 22nd Official newspaper The report on the July 2022 referendum includes a list of Facebook pages and individuals Isie has taken legal action against for mocking President Kais Said or the institution. Both in the pages of OJ and unheard of of Isaiah.