Tunisia heads to election for 2nd presidential fight
Tunis, Sept. 15: Tunisian voters turned out Sunday to choose from a crowded field of candidates after a divisive campaign in the country’s second free presidential poll since the 2011 Arab Spring.
Prominent candidates, in the absence of opinion polls, included media mogul Nabil Karoui, behind bars due to a money laundering probe, Abdelfattah Mourou, heading a first-time bid for Islamist-inspired party Ennahdha, and
Prime Minister Youssef Chahed. Some 13,000 polling booths opened across Tunisia at 8:00 am (0700 GMT) and Mourou smiled broadly as he cast his ballot, while Chahed said he was “proud of this great event”, after voting.
His popularity has been tarnished by a sluggish economy and the rising cost of living. The prime minister has also found himself having to vehemently deny accusations that Karoui's detention since late August was politically inspired.