Beji Caid Essebsi Wins Tunisian Presidential Elections

TUNIS- Nidaa Tounes candidate Beji Caid Essebsi won the second round of Tunisia’s 2014 presidential elections with 55.68 percent of the votes, the Tunisian Elections Board (ISIE) announced on Monday.

Moncef Marzouki, the second candidate in the runoff, received 44.32 percent of the votes, Xinhua cited Chafik Sarsar, head of the ISIE, as saying during a press conference.

Over 80.000 foreign and local observers monitored the presidential election. They all described the Sunday vote as free, fair and transparent.

Analysts argue that the new Tunisian leader will face many challenges and must be the president for all Tunisians.

 Marzouki congratulated Essebsi for his victory and called on his supporters to accept the election result.

 Following the announcement of official results by the Election Authority, President elect Beji Caid Essebsi vowed to work with all political parties to guarantee political stability and security in Tunisia. He stressed that he will be the president of all the Tunisians.

The 88-year-old Essebsi, whose party Nidaa Tounes won the majority of seats in the newly elected parliament, becomes the first democratically elected president since independence in 1956.

H. Mustafa

Agencies