Tunis/Tunisia — Three Independent High Authority for Elections (French: ISIE) Board vacancies will be filled by the end of next week before the publication of the presidential decree calling voters and the decree on the division of electoral constituencies, said President Farouk Bouasker.

The announcement was made at the opening Friday of a training session for TAP journalists on the theme: "the Constitutional and Legal Framework of Elections of local and regional councils, the National Council of Districts and Regions and the Stages of the Electoral Process."

The date of elections of local councils was set for next December 17, Bouasker said. The filling of vacancies in ISIE Board and the publication of the presidential decree calling for voters are due before September 17.

The election body finalised logistics organisation for the upcoming elections and the number of polling stations and centres as well as accredited staff will be kept unchanged.

There will be a local coordinator and a deputy coodinator for these elections who will represent the ISIE in each constituency, he added.

Local elections to have 279 local councils in place will take place in 2,155 constituencies. This is the first step towards the creation of regional councils and, subsequently, the National Council of Districts and Regions.

To this end, the ISIE implemented the territorial division project which helped determine the administrative boundaries of 2,085 Imadas in 279 delegations.

TAP CEO Najeh Missaoui laid emphasis on the importance of local journalism which, he said, is at the core of coverage of local elections.

TAP journalists boast a wealth of experience in covering elections. The specific nature of local elections requires training in the relevant legal framework.