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Tunisians Vote in Historic Runoff First Free Presidential Election in Post-Revolution Tunisia

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Tunisians Vote in Historic Runoff First Free Presidential Election in Post-Revolution Tunisia MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014 Iraq Kurd chief 2014 frustrates US hopes for Mideast peace hails advances Page 8 Page 8 ARIANA, Tunisia: A Tunisian woman wearing the national flag casts her vote yesterday at a polling station near Tunis. — AFP Tunisians vote in historic runoff First free presidential election in post-revolution Tunisia TUNIS: Tunisians voted in the runoff of thousands of soldiers and police to of restraint shown by candidates dur- the country’s first free presidential provide polling day security. By 1330 ing campaigning but said they election yesterday, with authorities GMT, turnout reached 36.8 percent, believed Tunisia was on the path to urging a big turnout to consolidate election organisers said. Polls were democracy. “Our candidates and their democracy after a chaotic four-year due to close at 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) policies perhaps aren’t the best but transition. Just hours before polling and the result could be announced as we’re moving forward - the dictator- began at 8:00 am (0700 GMT), troops early as Monday evening. ship is over,” said shopkeeper guarding ballot papers in the central Mohammed Taieb. In an Internet region of Kairouan came under attack Mudslinging During the Campaign video posted Wednesday, jihadists and shot dead one assailant and cap- A first round on Nov 23 saw Essebsi claimed the 2013 murder of two secu- tured three, the defence ministry said. win 39 percent of the vote, six per- lar politicians that plunged Tunisia Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa con- centage points ahead of Marzouki, a into crisis, and warned of more killings demned what he called a “desperate 69-year-old former rights activist of politicians and security forces. The attempt” to disrupt the embrace of installed by parliament two months murders had threatened to derail democracy in the nation that triggered after December 2011 polls. Nidaa Tunisia’s post-Arab Spring transition the Arab Spring. “The best response is Tounes won parliamentary polls in until a compromise government was to turn out calmly and in numbers,” October, making Essebsi favourite to formed in January this year. Jomaa told Mosaique FM radio. be the next president, but with pow- But defence ministry spokesman The second round vote pits 88- ers curbed under constitutional Belhassan Oueslati said he did not year-old favourite Beji Caid Essebsi, amendments to guard against a believe the jihadists were behind leader of the anti-Islamist Nidaa return to dictatorship. The campaign Sunday’s predawn attack. “The vigi- Tounes party, against incumbent was marked by mudslinging, with lance of the soldiers and the swiftness Moncef Marzouki, who held the post Essebsi refusing to take part in a of their response thwarted this opera- through an alliance with the moder- debate with Marzouki, claiming his tion and led to the death of a man ate Islamist movement Ennahda. “This opponent is an “extremist”. armed with a hunting rifle and the is a big day. I am proud to take part in Essebsi insists that Marzouki repre- arrest of three suspects,” Oueslati told this historic moment,” said Bechir sents the Islamists, charging that they AFP. “Generally, the terrorists don’t use Ghiloufi, a 54-year-old bank director had “ruined” the country since the hunting rifles.” in Tunis. “It is important to progress 2011 revolution which toppled veter- In addition to the jihadist threat, towards democracy.” It is the first time an ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Tunisia faces major challenges. Its Tunisians have freely elected their gave birth to the Arab Spring. economy is struggling to recover from president since independence from Marzouki in turn accused Essebsi, who the upheaval of the revolution, and France in 1956. “It is time to move on served as a senior official in previous there are also fears of widespread job- and set up long-lasting institutions,” Tunisian regimes, of wanting to lessness causing social unrest. “The said Raja Gafsi, a 58-year-old worker, restore the old guard deposed in the end of this transition is very important who like most voters is anxious to see revolution. After voting yesterday, for the future of Tunisia.” said factory political and economic stability and Marzouki vowed to respect the verdict owner Sami Ayadi, adding that over security return to Tunisia. of the ballot box. “The rules of the the past four years he was often Ahead of the vote, which sets democratic game require that each of unable to pay his workers. “I think that Tunisia apart from the turmoil of other us accepts the outcome of the vote in in the next five years the country will Arab Spring countries, jihadists had a sporting spirit,” he said. be run by a stable government we issued a videotaped threat against the have chosen and by a president we North African state’s political estab- ‘The Dictatorship is Over’ have also chosen,” added Youssef Kort, lishment. Authorities deployed tens of Voters said they regretted the lack a doctor.—AFP Assad says he backs truces DAMASCUS: Syria’s President Bashar Al- Assad told a top official from key supporter Iran yesterday his regime is working on “rec- onciliations” to end the brutal civil war, state news agency SANA said. His regime refers to local truces agreed between troops and rebels in several opposition-held areas as “national reconciliations”. However, Assad also told Ali Larijani, the speaker of parlia- ment in Tehran, that Syria will continue to fight “terror” - a term the regime has used for its opponents, both armed and peaceful, since the outbreak of a 2011 revolt. “President Assad emphasised the Syrian people’s determination to eradicate terror- ism,” said SANA, adding that he would also continue to press for “national reconcilia- tions... all over Syrian territory”. Larijani’s vis- it comes less than a fortnight after Assad met a top Russian envoy who said Moscow is hoping to relaunch peace talks and that it could host a Syria-US meeting. Russia and Iran are Assad’s main allies, supplying him DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (right) meets Speaker with financial, military and political support of Iran’s parliament Ali Larijani in the Syrian capital yesterday. — AFP in his bid to crush the rebellion. — AFP .
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