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Africa North
Tunisians head to the polls in the Arab world's first free elections
2011-10-23
You mean, other than Iraq...
TUNIS: Tunisians go to the polls today, Sunday, with a bewildering number of candidates to choose from. Some 117 parties have been authorized to stand -- secularist, Islamist, socialist, communist, Baathist, center-left, center-right, green and more. Even some parties with no ideology at all. The moderate and well organized Islamist Ennahda party led by Rached Ghannouchi is expected to win the largest number of votes with the centrist and secularist Progressive Democrat Party (PDP) coming second, but with so many parties involved and possible permutations of alliances, it was impossible on the eve of polling to predict whether Tunisia will remain on a secularist path, head down an Islamist one or end up with a grand coalition running the country.

It is be Tunisia's first free elections since independence in 1956 and, according to Tunisians and others, the first genuinely free contest ever in the Arab world.
Other than Iraq...
There were elections under Tunisia's post independence President Habib Bourguiba and then his successor, President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali who was overthrown in January, but they were not free and fair. Parties opposed to the ruling party were banned. Turnout was usually around 10 percent although it was always put much higher.

The vote brings to an end the initial transitional period that started with the January revolution. Technically, it is purely for a 217-member constituent assembly that will draw up a new constitution. In reality, the assembly can, and probably will, name a new head of state to replace acting President Fouad Mebazaa, and he in turn could appoint a new prime minister and Cabinet.
Posted by:Steve White

#2  "take to the streets"

Sounds like that dufus in Wisconsin, "the election isn't over until we win."

The mantra of the new Democrats and dictators everywhere.
Posted by: AlanC   2011-10-23 09:12  

#1  Arab world's first free elections

ROTFL
Posted by: gr(o)mgoru   2011-10-23 03:28  

00:00