The statement published by the Carter Center’s Tunis office calling for “improvements in electoral legislation” has triggered controversy and condemnation from local civic organizations in Tunisia. The center issued a statement Sept. 28 urging the Tunisian parliament to “make improvements to the electoral law giving the right to vote to the army and security forces.” Local organizations considered this call interference in Tunisian affairs.

The Carter Center opened its office in Tunis in June 2011 with the aim of monitoring the elections, the constitutional drafting process and the establishment of institutional and legal frameworks for elections. In 2014, the center was in charge of election observation of the presidential and legislative elections, and issued a report on them.

The controversy over the center’s latest statement triggered a debate about the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), their relationship with the state and the limits of that relationship.

In its statement, the Carter Center called on Tunisian authorities to amend the electoral law, saying there is “a glaring lack of attention to the organization of regional elections, which would further encourage development and help meet citizens’ concerns in Tunisia.”