Tunisia - A working session was held, Tuesday, at the headquarters of the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) to debate political finance and the oversight of election campaigns.

The session was chaired by ISIE President Farouk Bouasker and was attended by members of the electoral authority's council as well as representatives from the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), the Court of Auditors, the Finance Ministry , and the Tunisian Post.

Participants discussed the role of ISIE and State bodies involved in the oversight of "disguised" campaign financing through organisations and legal entities engaged in propagandist activities benefiting certain candidates, reads a statement of ISIE.

They also deliberated on means to control foreign financing of organisations involved in electoral matters, particularly those tasked with election observation, in order to ensure their neutrality and independence throughout the electoral process.

Participants discussed the roles assigned to the Central Bank, the Tunisian Commission for Financial Analysis (CTAF), and commercial banks in controlling the phenomenon of foreign financing of electoral campaigns.

They also explored methods for verifying the compliance of candidates' dossiers with the Court of Auditors, particularly in regard to financial or electoral abuses. This includes checking if candidates in the race have any outstanding debts to the State related to the reimbursement of public subsidies from previous elections.

The meeting aligns with the preparations undertaken by ISIE in anticipation of the upcoming electoral milestones. It reflects a proactive effort to coordinate between different State institutions and bodies, through the establishment of the necessary means to facilitate candidates' electoral campaigns.

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