The run-up to the May 4th parliamentary election is being marred with a gender controversy after some political parties left the images of female candidates on their official campaign posters blank. The female candidates were represented with an avatar wearing a Hijab while the face was left blank in white. The Independent High Authority for Election Monitoring (HIISE) has issued a warning to the concerned political parties to either display the images of the female candidates on their posters by Thursday or their candidatures will be revoked. Parties are obliged to field female candidates under a 2012 law requiring women to make up between 20% and 50% of candidates on electoral lists. The political parties are hoping that the electorates will participate significantly in the elections.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 19, 2017 15:00 UTC