Tunis/Tunisia — The Tunisian Association for Integrity and Democracy of Elections (ATIDE) on Monday reported a delay of between 10 and 26 minutes in the start of the polling operations for the referendum on a new Tunisian Constitution in a number of polling centres, in addition to a lack of equipment in about 26% of the monitored polling centres.

During a press briefing, ATIDE President Bassam Maâtar said that the association's observers, numbering 430 in Tunisia and 6 abroad, were prevented from moving freely in the polling centres, calling for guaranteeing them the right of access to all places in the polling centres.

Deputy Secretary General of the association Sabrine Ghazouani pointed out the lack of signals in some polling centres in Mahdia and the non display of voters' lists in the polling centres in El Hamma and El Manara in Gabes in addition to poor training of the Independent Higher Authority for the Elections staff in Gabes and Beja.

However, she underlined the presence of all the voters' lists as well as the electoral devices in the polling centre of Cité Mohamed Ali in Ben Arous.

Ghazouani also indicated that the association recorded a violation related to the influence of voters and a polling booth discovered at the Ennour polling centre in Jendouba in addition to a delay in the start of voting operations in some centres in Beja, Jendouba, Bizerte, Ben Arous, Kébili and Manouba.

Polling operations for the referendum on the new Constitution kicked off on Monday at 6 a.m. nationwide and will continue until 10 p.m. except for the centres located in the border areas which will close their doors at 6 p.m., namely the centres located in Kasserine, Siliana, Jendouba, Kef, Sidi Bouzid and Gafsa.

For Tunisians living overseas, the ballot has started since last Friday.