Tunisians vote in first parliamentary polls

Millions vote in cradle of Arab Spring to elect five-
year parliament since they overthrew dictator Ben
Ali in 2011.
Tunisians have been lining up to vote to choose new
parliament in the elections seen as a test of the
country's transition to democracy.
Voting opened at 7am (06:00 GMT) on Sunday to
elect a five-year legislative assembly and will close
at 6pm. More than 4,500 polling booths have been
set up, with security forces deploying heavily to
avert possible attacks.
Results are expected to follow shortly after.
Sunday’s general election, which will see the
election of the 217-member legislature, is the first
under the country’s new constitution and the
second since the 2011 uprising that overthrew the
regime of the former president, Zine el Abidine Ben
Ali.
"I am so proud of being here," Sami Rajhi, a 19-
year-old student, told Al Jazeera as he queued to
cast his first ever vote at a polling station in the
capital's northern neighbourhood of Menzah.
"During the last elections, I was in tears when I
saw all the pictures of my fellow citizens voting.
Today, I am here to contribute to my country's
future. It's a historic moment."
More than 100 political parties are running. Former
Ben Ali officials are allowed to run and are expected
to win in regional cities where they remain popular.
More than 5.2 million people are eligible to vote, but
there are concerns that turnout will be low despite
widespread awareness campaigns educating
citizens on the importance of voting.
Samira Gharbi, a 36-year-old mother of two, said
she came to vote despite her disappointment with
her own choices in the previous vote. Standing in
line with her two children, Gharbi said she "came
today to rectify. It is important to be here, to decide
on the country's future for the next 5 years."

Counterweight to Ennahda

The Islamist Ennahda party and the secular party,
Nida Tounes, are expected to be among the most
popular parties.
Ennahda remains popular among the poor while
Nida Tounes, led by Beji Caid Essebsi, will rely on
the votes of the country’s long-established elites
and those wanting a return to a more orderly era.
The 87-year-old Essebsi served as minister of the
interior, defence and foreign affairs under the
country's founding president Habib Bourguiba, and
was then parliamentary speaker under Ben Ali.
His critics accuse him of seeking to restore the
regime of the deposed leader, while his supporters
say he is the only credible counterweight to
Ennahda.
"Tunisians may be politically divided. but at least
now they can choose which path they want to go
down," Al Jazeera's correspondent Nazanine
Moshiri, reporting from Tunis, said.
The Islamist-secular divide, however, will definitely
die out after the elections as it is impossible for any
single party to win a simple majority - parties will
be forced to form a coalition government.
Tunisian media has reported cases of fraud
including bribes in the run-up to the polls, and
accused some political parties of intimidation. Such
violations, however, could not be proven by the
Independent High Authority for the Elections.
Security measures have been increased before
election day and the country remains on alert
following a siege and gun battle on the outskirts of
the capital that left five women and one man dead.
Source: aljazeera