Tunisian Secular Candidate Claims Victory in Presidential Election

Mohamed Beji Caid Essebsi, leader of the secular Nidaa Tounes party in Tunisia, declared himself the winner of the second round of the presidential election; this is the first free presidential election in a country that was the starting point of the so-called 'Arab Spring' movements. On the other hand, Moncef Marzouki, the current president allied with the moderate Islamic party Ennahda, refused to accept the declared victory before the counting of votes was completed. Tunisian citizens went to the polls on Sunday. The official preliminary results of the election are expected to be announced on Tuesday, December 23. According to AFP, shortly after the voting ended, Mohsen Marzouk, the campaign manager for Mr. Essebsi, spoke of his victory. Essebsi himself appeared before a group of supporters gathered around his campaign center and shouted 'Long live Tunisia.' He also told his supporters, 'Tunisia needs all its children. We must work side by side.' Reuters also reported that he stated in remarks on a domestic television network that he dedicates his 'victory' to the martyrs of Tunisia and called on his rival, Moncef Marzouki, to 'cooperate' with him 'without rejecting each other.' Reuters quoted Mr. Marzouki as saying that he does not accept his defeat until the official results are announced. Tunisian voters in one of the polling centers had previously seen the Nidaa Tounes party win the parliamentary elections and take the majority from the current president's allies, the Ennahda party. Analysts say the future president of Tunisia will face challenges in consolidating stability in the country. Mr. Essebsi has held government positions during the previous regime in Tunisia. Nevertheless, he has rejected the return of the previous regime if he wins the election, stating that he is a 'technocrat.' Tunisia was the first Arab country to witness political protests that ended the 23-year presidency; this has been seen by some analysts as a model for other Arab countries. However, the outcomes of protests and political changes in other Arab countries have not been similar.