Tunis, Aug11 (IANS): Tunisia's Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) announced the preliminary list of three candidates who will run in the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for October 6.

"The preliminary list includes Tunisian President Kais Saied, who will run for a second five-year presidential term, Secretary-General of the People's Movement Zouhaier Maghzaoui and Secretary General of the Azimoun Movement Ayachi Zammel," said the ISIE President Farouk Bouaskar during a press conference in the capital Tunis, Xinhua news agency reported.

Bouasker said that Saied presented 248,467 valid popular endorsements in his candidacy file, Maghzaoui presented 11 valid parliamentary endorsements, and Zammel presented 10,457 valid popular endorsements, adding that the files of other 14 candidates were rejected for "objective and legal" reasons.

In Tunisia, the candidates must secure the endorsement of ten members of the Assembly of People's Representatives or the National Council of Regions and Districts or 40 elected presidents of local authorities (local, regional, or district councils) in office at the time of acceptance of candidacy, or the endorsement of 10,000 registered voters spread over at least 10 legislative constituencies, with a minimum of 500 voters per constituency.

The final list of presidential candidates will be announced on September 3. The election campaign will kick off on September 14 and wrap up on October 4. The ISIE will announce the final election results before November 9.

Tunisia holds presidential elections every five years, with Saied currently serving as president since 2019.