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Tunisians Vote in Presidential Runoff Election Tunisians Vote in Presidential Runoff Election
(about 1 hour later)
TUNIS — Tunisians voted Sunday in the runoff of the country’s first free and democratic presidential election, drawing to an end the often-turbulent transition period since the popular uprising of 2011. TUNIS — Tunisians voted Sunday in the runoff of the country’s first free and democratic presidential election, drawing to an end the often turbulent transition period since the popular uprising of 2011.
The race is between President Moncef Marzouki, 69, a doctor and human rights activist who has held the post of interim president for the past three years, and the favorite, Beji Caid Essebsi, the 88-year-old former cabinet minister who led the country briefly after the revolution.The race is between President Moncef Marzouki, 69, a doctor and human rights activist who has held the post of interim president for the past three years, and the favorite, Beji Caid Essebsi, the 88-year-old former cabinet minister who led the country briefly after the revolution.
Four years after Tunisians overthrew President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, setting off the Arab Spring, the country has been singled out as the one Arab nation that has succeeded in navigating a peaceful change, passing a new constitution and holding well-run legislative and presidential elections over the past three months. Minutes after the polling places closed on Sunday, a spokesman for Mr. Essebsi claimed the campaign already had indications from exit polls that Mr. Essebsi was in the lead.
Yet voters have expressed widespread frustration with the transitional government and Mr. Marzouki, and they have shifted their support toward Mr. Essebsi and his new party, Nidaa Tounes, or Call for Tunisia. Mr. Essebsi won the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, receiving 39 percent compared with 33 percent for Mr. Marzouki, and Nidaa Tounes won a plurality of 86 seats in the parliamentary elections in October. “There are positive indications that Beji Caid Essebsi has won the presidency of the country,” the campaign manager, Mohsen Marzouk, said. “We congratulate all Tunisians that they finished the period of elections peacefully.”
That expression of frustration with the interim government was still evident among voters in the working-class district of Jebel Jloud in Tunis, the capital, on Sunday. Cheering crowds gathered at the parties’ offices as supporters set off fireworks in the street.
Mr. Marzouki’s campaign advised caution, saying the results were too close to call.
“The margin is minimal, and the polls unreliable,” said Mr. Marzouki’s campaign manager and spokesman, Adnen Mansour.
Four years after Tunisians overthrew President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, setting off the Arab Spring, Tunisia has been singled out as the one Arab country that has succeeded in navigating a peaceful change, passing a new constitution and holding well-run legislative and presidential elections over the past three months.
Yet voters have expressed widespread frustration with the transitional government and Mr., Marzouki, and they have shifted their support toward Mr. Essebsi and his new party, Nidaa Tounes, or Call for Tunisia. Mr. Essebsi won the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, receiving 39 percent compared with 33 percent for Mr. Marzouki, and Nidaa Tounes won a plurality of 86 seats in October’s parliamentary elections.
That expression of frustration with the interim government was still evident among voters in the working-class district of Jebel Jloud in Tunis, the capital, on Sunday. Voters came on foot to the polls in a steady flow, without the excitement of Tunisia’s first free elections in 2011, but expressing hopes for a change for the better.
“We need a president to bring security, to put an end to terrorism and bring back the authority of the state,” said Wassila Meziou, a secondary-school teacher. “We want our life to go back to how it was, because in the last three years it got really bad.”“We need a president to bring security, to put an end to terrorism and bring back the authority of the state,” said Wassila Meziou, a secondary-school teacher. “We want our life to go back to how it was, because in the last three years it got really bad.”
Rim Sassi, a homemaker who arrived at her polling place with her children, said: “We’ve had enough of this situation. We want a president to fix the problems, to bring employment for the young people and bring down the cost of living.”Rim Sassi, a homemaker who arrived at her polling place with her children, said: “We’ve had enough of this situation. We want a president to fix the problems, to bring employment for the young people and bring down the cost of living.”
But the election has revealed sharp divisions in the country. In the previous round, much of the capital and the population of the east coast voted for Mr. Essebsi, while the poorer southern part of the country and the interior voted for Mr. Marzouki, who is from the south. But the election has revealed deep divisions in the country. In the previous round, much of the capital and the population of the east coast voted for Mr. Essebsi, while the poorer southern part of the country and the interior voted for Mr. Marzouki, who is from the south.
Moreover, while the main Islamist party, Ennahda, did not have a candidate in the presidential race and did not endorse any candidate, its supporters have largely backed Mr. Marzouki. Many cite concerns that Mr. Essebsi served as interior minister in the repressive government led by Habib Bourguiba, Tunisia’s first president, and has members of the former government among his entourage. Moreover, while the main Islamist party Ennahda did not have a candidate in the presidential race and did not endorse any candidate, its supporters have largely backed Mr. Marzouki. Many cite concerns that Mr. Essebsi served as interior minister in the repressive government led by Tunisia’s first president, Habib Bourguiba, and has members of the former government among his entourage.
“I voted Marzouki,” said a man wearing a traditional red cap in the district of Ben Arous. “First of all I thought one of the candidates is a criminal and one is clean. We know the history.” Of Mr. Essebsi, he said, “We were raised under his torture under the orders of Bourguiba.” He said that he was a taxi driver and that his name was Ali, but he declined to give his surname, still cautious about talking openly about politics.“I voted Marzouki,” said a man wearing a traditional red cap in the district of Ben Arous. “First of all I thought one of the candidates is a criminal and one is clean. We know the history.” Of Mr. Essebsi, he said, “We were raised under his torture under the orders of Bourguiba.” He said that he was a taxi driver and that his name was Ali, but he declined to give his surname, still cautious about talking openly about politics.
“We had a revolution because of people like this,” said another voter, Rabii Ben Ali, an engineer with a multinational company. The revolution still has years more to run, he said. “The young people are with Marzouki. The person who will drive this country to revolution is not an old man.” “We had a revolution because of people like this,” said another voter, Rabii Ben Ali, a bearded engineer with a multinational company. The revolution still has years more to run, he said. “The young people are with Marzouki. The person who will drive this country to revolution is not an old man.”
In a recent report, Michael Ayari, director of the International Crisis Group in Tunisia, said: "Tunisia’s tenuous stability rests largely on the hesitation born of reciprocal fears. Whoever wins the presidential election will have to work alongside the new government and parliament to calm both camps’ anxieties, address their legitimate grievances and heal the country’s divisions.”
The turn toward Mr. Essebsi among the upper and middle-classes and in the wealthier northern and coastal regions has led some analysts to suggest that the revolution is dead. Khalifa Chater, professor of history at Tunis University, suggested that it was never a revolution that overturned the system, but merely a popular uprising that has since died down. Mr. Marzouki himself admitted that the “bourgeoisie,” who make up the bulk of Mr. Essebsi’s supporters, had never accepted the revolution.
Many supporters of the revolution are in fact not happy with either presidential candidate. Members of the left, longtime opponents of the dictatorship, yet also fierce opponents of the Islamists allied with Mr. Marzouki, are divided and their party leaders have suggested that they cast a blank ballot.
Others were pragmatic. A businessman, Wagih Aloui, 31, said that Tunisia was not giving up on the ideals of the revolution but choosing a middle road between the controls of the old dictatorship and the freedoms of the revolution. “It will be a fusion between dictatorship and freedom,” Mr. Aloui said. “If it goes back to repression, we have lost, but then we have to look how to win it back.”