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| Ex-Cabinet Minister Wins Tunisian Presidential Runoff | Ex-Cabinet Minister Wins Tunisian Presidential Runoff |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. Turnout was 60 percent of registered voters, but only 3.2 million people out of an eligible eight million cast a ballot. | |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. |