Tunisia Votes on New Constitution That Could Tighten President’s Grip on Power

Tunisians began voting Monday on a new constitution that would grant President Kais Saied significant powers, a move that the political opposition and activists say pushes the North African country toward one-man rule a decade after it emerged from the Arab Spring as the only democracy in the region.

Mr. Saied presented a draft version of a new constitution in late June. If adopted, it would grant the president the ability to extend his tenure beyond the current limit of two presidential terms. It would also increase the powers of the presidency and curtail those of the parliament, which, under the existing constitution, check the executive’s reach.