Islamists claim win in Tunisia's Arab Spring vote.
- 13 years ago
Counting the votes in Tunisia.
A day after the country's historic vote an Islamist party appears to be in the lead, although there are no official results yet.
Nevertheless the moderate Islamist party Ennahda is claiming victory
HEAD OF ENNAHDA ELECTION CAMPAIGN, ABD ELHAMID JLOZI, SAYING:
SOUNDBITE: Head of Ennahda election campaign, Abd Elhamid Jlozi, saying (Arabic):
"The first confirmed results show that Ennahda has obtained first place, nationally and across voting centers."
Even if its victory is confirmed when official results from the vote -- the first democratic election in Tunisia's history -- are released, Ennahda will still have to share power with other parties.
Not everyone welcomes the news.
Secularists are taking to the streets in protest
SOUNDBITE: Protester, saying (French):
"Look, the Tunisian people have just one choice to make: that's to cut out religion from politics. The Tunisian people should cut out religion from politics. Or next we will end up living in a Tunisia that's a religious state. We refuse to do that."
Sunday's vote was for an assembly which will sit for one year to draft a new constitution. It will also appoint a new interim president and government to run the country until fresh elections late next year or early in 2013.
Deborah Lutterbeck Reuters
A day after the country's historic vote an Islamist party appears to be in the lead, although there are no official results yet.
Nevertheless the moderate Islamist party Ennahda is claiming victory
HEAD OF ENNAHDA ELECTION CAMPAIGN, ABD ELHAMID JLOZI, SAYING:
SOUNDBITE: Head of Ennahda election campaign, Abd Elhamid Jlozi, saying (Arabic):
"The first confirmed results show that Ennahda has obtained first place, nationally and across voting centers."
Even if its victory is confirmed when official results from the vote -- the first democratic election in Tunisia's history -- are released, Ennahda will still have to share power with other parties.
Not everyone welcomes the news.
Secularists are taking to the streets in protest
SOUNDBITE: Protester, saying (French):
"Look, the Tunisian people have just one choice to make: that's to cut out religion from politics. The Tunisian people should cut out religion from politics. Or next we will end up living in a Tunisia that's a religious state. We refuse to do that."
Sunday's vote was for an assembly which will sit for one year to draft a new constitution. It will also appoint a new interim president and government to run the country until fresh elections late next year or early in 2013.
Deborah Lutterbeck Reuters