Tunisia Approves New Constitution Despite Low Turnout And ‘Fraud’ Accusations

Tunisia's electoral commission announced Tuesday evening the approval of a new constitution granting President Kais Saied unchecked executive, legislative, and judicial powers. The head of the electoral commission, Farouk Bouasker, declared the acceptance of the controversial draft, with 94.6 percent voting "yes", on 30.5 percent turnout. The vote, held on Monday, came one year after a dramatic seizure of power that saw Saied unseat the government and freeze parliament, in a move critics have branded a "coup". Nine million Tunisians were eligible to vote, but no minimum participation had been set for a "yes" vote to pass, and no provisions had been made for a "no" result. Saied, himself a constitutional lawyer,…