Tunisian polling firms have declared Beji Caid Essebsi, an 88-year-old official from previous regimes, as the winner of presidential runoff, cementing his dominance over a country where his party already controls Parliament.
The runoff election marks the culmination of a 4-year-long rocky transition to democracy after Tunisians overthrew dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, kicking off pro-democracy uprisings around the region in what became known as the Arab Spring.
Only in Tunisia, however, has the transition to democracy remained on track, with elections for a permanent parliament held in October and the first round of presidential elections a month later.
The Sigma Conseil company’s exit polls, which have consistently come close to matching official results released later, gave Mr. Essebsi 55.5 per cent of the vote and his opponent Moncef Marzouki, the outgoing interim President, 44.5 per cent. Other polling companies gave between 52 and 54 percent to Mr. Essebsi.
Mr. Marzouki’s campaign maintained that yesterday’s election was too close to call, and the official results are expected by today night. Mr. Marzouki congratulated Tunisia for its election and said the country has “banished the fake elections of the past which were won by percentages of 99.99 per cent.”
Celebrations began immediately after polls closed at Mr. Essebsi’s party headquarters with fireworks, cheering crowds and lines of cars honking their horns. Mr. Essebsi struck a conciliatory note, urging Mr. Marzouki’s supporters to work with him to rebuild the country.
“The future begins today!” Mr. Essebsi said, saluting Mr. Marzouki and the people who voted for him. “What is important is what we do today and tomorrow for Tunisia and all its children. We must work hand in hand.”
The election has shown deep divisions in the country, not just between Islamists and more secular groups but also between the wealthier capital and coastal regions and the more impoverished interior, which voted for Mr. Marzouki.
While the moderate Islamist party Ennahda dominated politics immediately after the revolution in 2011, they were unable to address the serious economic and political challenges in the country, including terrorist attacks.
