Tunisians vote for president on competitive election day

Source:Reuters Published: 2019/9/15 21:53:40

Tunisians began casting votes in an unpredictable presidential election on Sunday where there is no overwhelming front-runner, with economic ills dominating the agenda.

Polling stations opened at 8 am from the capital Tunis on the Mediterranean coastline to the cork forests of the northwest, the mining towns of the interior and sand-swept Saharan villages in the south.

In the upmarket Tunis suburb of La Marsa, long lines formed outside polling stations. "These are really historic moments. I got here at 7 am... to give my voice to our new leader who must protect our democracy," said Lilia Amri, 36, a bank worker.

A perceived decline in living standards since the 2011 "Arab Spring," with higher unemployment and inflation, has frustrated many voters and turnout for local elections last year was only 34 percent.

Heavily indebted, Tunisia's next government will have to navigate popular demands to relax public purse strings while foreign lenders push for spending cuts.

While foreign attention, especially in Arab countries, is focused on the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, Tunisians have been engrossed by the fate of media mogul Nabil Karoui, running from behind bars on suspicion of money-laundering and tax evasion, which he denies. A court on Friday ruled he must stay in detention after his arrest last month, leading his supporters to claim he has been silenced.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, as well as two former prime ministers, a former president and Defense Minister Abdelkrim Zbidi are among the two dozen candidates hoping to win outright or, if none of them win more than 50 percent, to advance to a second round runoff. Two of the 26 still listed on the ballot papers have withdrawn in recent days to support an opposing candidate.

With so many in the race, Sunday's vote could produce a very close outcome, with few votes separating the two candidates who make the second round runoff, due by October 13, from the others.

The election was brought forward after the death of former president Beji Caid Essebsi in July, and the independent election commission will have to deal with any appeals against the official verdict quickly.



Posted in: AFRICA

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