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Ex-Cabinet Minister Leads in Tunisian Presidential Runoff Ex-Cabinet Minister Wins Tunisian Presidential Runoff
(about 1 hour later)
TUNIS — Early results in Tunisia’s presidential runoff pointed to a victory on Monday for Beji Caid Essebsi, the 88-year-old former cabinet minister, in the country’s first free and democratic presidential elections. TUNIS — Beji Caid Essebsi, an 88-year-old former cabinet minister, has won Tunisia’s first free and democratic presidential elections in a runoff, the country’s election commission reported on Monday.
A Tunisian electoral observation organization, Mourakiboun, released a quick count of 997 polling stations that showed Mr. Essebsi defeating the interim president, Moncef Marzouki, with between 54 percent to 57 percent of the vote. Mr. Essebsi received 55.68 percent of the vote, and his rival, the interim president, Moncef Marzouki, got 44.32 percent in the election on Sunday, the commission reported.
The count, a parallel vote-tabulation estimate, is based on a representative sample of official results posted at polling stations, and it has proved accurate in previous rounds. Mr. Essebsi served as interior minister under Tunisia’s repressive first president, Habib Bourguiba, and as speaker of Parliament under Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted in 2011. Despite links to the country’s authoritarian past, Mr. Essebsi served as interim prime minister after the revolt and led the country into its first free and democratic elections for the National Constituent Assembly in 2011.
The tabulation was similar to three exit polls released Sunday evening that showed Mr. Essebsi with more than 50 percent of the vote and ahead of Mr. Marzouki. Both candidates have said they would wait for official results before making a statement. As expected, Mr. Essebsi won constituencies in the capital and eastern coastal towns. Mr. Marzouki made strong gains in his native south, with as much as 80 percent of the vote in some places.
Official results are not expected until later on Monday.
Mr. Essebsi served as interior minister under Tunisia’s repressive first president, Habib Bourguiba, and as speaker of Parliament under Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted in 2011. Despite links to the country’s authoritarian past, he served as interim prime minister after the revolt and led the country into its first free and democratic elections for the National Constituent Assembly in 2011.
As expected, Mr. Essebsi has won constituencies in the capital and eastern coastal towns. Mr. Marzouki made strong gains in his native south, with as much as 80 percent of the vote in some places.
The south is poor, and it is the most marginalized part of the country. Analysts have warned that the winner of the election would need to prevent greater alienation and possible unrest.The south is poor, and it is the most marginalized part of the country. Analysts have warned that the winner of the election would need to prevent greater alienation and possible unrest.
Reports of violence in the southern town of El Hamma between Mr. Marzouki’s supporters and the police, including photographs of empty streets littered with rocks and smoke, circulated on social media forums on Monday.Reports of violence in the southern town of El Hamma between Mr. Marzouki’s supporters and the police, including photographs of empty streets littered with rocks and smoke, circulated on social media forums on Monday.