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Tunisia results 'to confirm Islamist dominance'
By Mariette le Roux (AFP) – 5 hours ago
TUNIS — Tunisia's official vote results were expected Tuesday to confirm Islamist dominance nine months after a popular uprising ousted dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and sparked the Arab Spring.
The Islamist Ennahda has already claimed to have taken the biggest block of votes, between 30 and 40 percent -- hailing the start of what are expected to be complicated negotiations for a majority coalition.
Results are due later Tuesday in Tunisia's first-ever democratic polls, in which massive numbers of voters elected a new 217-member assembly that will rewrite the constitution and appoint a new caretaker president and government for the duration of the drafting process.
The European Union observer mission declared itself "satisfied" Tuesday with the conduct of the polls, which it said were transparent with only "minor irregularities".
"Ennahda close to power?" the Arabic-language Le Maghreb daily asked, while the Chourouk newspaper announced: "A tidal wave for Ennahda."
A provisional count showed Ennahda had won half of the 18 seats reserved for expatriate representatives on the assembly in separate elections held last week.
The assembly will decide on the country's system of government and how to guarantee basic liberties, including women's rights, which many in Tunisia fear Ennahda would seek to diminish despite its assurances to the contrary.
It will also have interim authority to write laws and pass budgets.
To form a majority, Ennahda will have to negotiate with the next biggest parties, all on the leftist, liberal side of the political spectrum -- notably the Congress for the Republic (CPR) of Moncef Marzouki and Ettakatol led Mustapha Ben Jaafar.
The two parties were fighting it out for second place, both expecting to get about 15 percent of the vote.
Marzouki, who insists that no firm agreement was made in pre-poll talks with Ennahda that saw other leftist parties accuse the CPR of seeking "a pact with the devil", has defended the need to form a large alliance to strengthen the assembly and give the caretaker "the means to govern".
For its part, Ettakatol had refused all pre-poll approaches while insisting on its intention to be part of a national unity government.
The centre-left PDP party, tipped as Ennahda's main challenger before the vote, conceded defeat on Monday.
Analysts have told AFP that Ennahda, even in a majority alliance, would be unable to "dictate" its programme to the assembly, having no choice but to appease its alliance partners, a moderate-minded society, and the international community on whose investment and tourism the country relies heavily.
Leftist parties may also seek to form a majority bloc against Ennahda.
The Islamist party says to models itself on the ruling AKP party in Turkey, another Muslim-majority country which like Tunisia to date has a secular state.
But its critics accuse the party of preaching modernism in public and radicalism in the mosques.
Even before the official results, Ennahda has sought to reassure investors of stability and said it was open to a coalition with any party "without exception".
"We would like to reassure our trade and economic partners, and all actors and investors, we hope very soon to have stability and the right conditions for investment in Tunisia," executive party member Abdelhamid Jlassi said Monday.
His colleague Nourreddine Bhiri told AFP: "We respect the rights of women ... and equality between Tunisians whatever their religion, their sex or their social status."
Ben Ali was ousted in January after 23 years of iron-fisted rule in a popular uprising that sparked region-wide revolts which claimed their latest Arab strongman last Thursday with the killing of Moamer Kadhafi of Libya.
The electoral system was designed to include as many parties as possible in drafting the new constitution, expected to take a year, ahead of fresh national polls.
The current interim government will remain in power until the assembly appoints a new president, not expected before November 9.
By Mariette le Roux (AFP) – 5 hours ago
TUNIS — Tunisia's official vote results were expected Tuesday to confirm Islamist dominance nine months after a popular uprising ousted dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and sparked the Arab Spring.
The Islamist Ennahda has already claimed to have taken the biggest block of votes, between 30 and 40 percent -- hailing the start of what are expected to be complicated negotiations for a majority coalition.
Results are due later Tuesday in Tunisia's first-ever democratic polls, in which massive numbers of voters elected a new 217-member assembly that will rewrite the constitution and appoint a new caretaker president and government for the duration of the drafting process.
The European Union observer mission declared itself "satisfied" Tuesday with the conduct of the polls, which it said were transparent with only "minor irregularities".
"Ennahda close to power?" the Arabic-language Le Maghreb daily asked, while the Chourouk newspaper announced: "A tidal wave for Ennahda."
A provisional count showed Ennahda had won half of the 18 seats reserved for expatriate representatives on the assembly in separate elections held last week.
The assembly will decide on the country's system of government and how to guarantee basic liberties, including women's rights, which many in Tunisia fear Ennahda would seek to diminish despite its assurances to the contrary.
It will also have interim authority to write laws and pass budgets.
To form a majority, Ennahda will have to negotiate with the next biggest parties, all on the leftist, liberal side of the political spectrum -- notably the Congress for the Republic (CPR) of Moncef Marzouki and Ettakatol led Mustapha Ben Jaafar.
The two parties were fighting it out for second place, both expecting to get about 15 percent of the vote.
Marzouki, who insists that no firm agreement was made in pre-poll talks with Ennahda that saw other leftist parties accuse the CPR of seeking "a pact with the devil", has defended the need to form a large alliance to strengthen the assembly and give the caretaker "the means to govern".
For its part, Ettakatol had refused all pre-poll approaches while insisting on its intention to be part of a national unity government.
The centre-left PDP party, tipped as Ennahda's main challenger before the vote, conceded defeat on Monday.
Analysts have told AFP that Ennahda, even in a majority alliance, would be unable to "dictate" its programme to the assembly, having no choice but to appease its alliance partners, a moderate-minded society, and the international community on whose investment and tourism the country relies heavily.
Leftist parties may also seek to form a majority bloc against Ennahda.
The Islamist party says to models itself on the ruling AKP party in Turkey, another Muslim-majority country which like Tunisia to date has a secular state.
But its critics accuse the party of preaching modernism in public and radicalism in the mosques.
Even before the official results, Ennahda has sought to reassure investors of stability and said it was open to a coalition with any party "without exception".
"We would like to reassure our trade and economic partners, and all actors and investors, we hope very soon to have stability and the right conditions for investment in Tunisia," executive party member Abdelhamid Jlassi said Monday.
His colleague Nourreddine Bhiri told AFP: "We respect the rights of women ... and equality between Tunisians whatever their religion, their sex or their social status."
Ben Ali was ousted in January after 23 years of iron-fisted rule in a popular uprising that sparked region-wide revolts which claimed their latest Arab strongman last Thursday with the killing of Moamer Kadhafi of Libya.
The electoral system was designed to include as many parties as possible in drafting the new constitution, expected to take a year, ahead of fresh national polls.
The current interim government will remain in power until the assembly appoints a new president, not expected before November 9.
