Tunisians are voting for a new parliament today and also re-electing Zine el Abidine Ben Ali for yet another presidential term.

Ben Ali, who is 73, has been in power for almost 22 years.

Three other candidates are contesting the presidency but it’s scarcely worth mentioning them. Two of these “opponents” have already declared their support for Ben Ali.

The only question, really, is the size of Ben Ali’s majority. In 1999 (the first time alternative candidates were allowed to stand) he won with 99.66% of the vote. In 2004, he got 94.48%.

Majorities in the high nineties tend to be ridiculed these days, and anything in the eighties would cause a loss of face. So, just to make it look a bit more democratic than last time, let’s settle for a result today in the low nineties. How about 91%-92%?

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 25 October 2009.