Tunisia’s new constitution giving the president far greater powers is to come into effect after the official electoral commission announced the final results of last month’s referendum.

The 96 per cent yes vote in the referendum, with 31 per cent of the electorate taking part, was largely unchanged from the preliminary results announced last month.

Opponents of President Kais Saied said the new constitution would unravel Tunisia’s democratic gains from the 2011 revolution by giving him nearly unchecked powers.

They criticised the process by which he wrote the constitution as illegal and unilateral and have raised concerns over the legitimacy of the referendum after he replaced the board of the electoral commission.

Mr Saied and his supporters said the political system had to change to save Tunisia from years of stagnation and political paralysis and defended the process by which he passed the constitution.

Last week a court dismissed objections to the vote.

Under Mr Saied’s decree announcing the referendum, the new constitution will come into effect once published in the official gazette following the announcement of the final results.

The publication of the constitution was expected soon. 

(Reuters/NAN)