Tunisia holds third parliament polls since 2011 revolt

Tunisians go to the polls Sunday for the third parliamentary polls of a successful but hectic transition to democracy since the North African country’s 2011 revolution.

Polling stations opened for the seven-million electorate at 8:00 a.m  and will close 12 hours later, with preliminary official results scheduled for Wednesday although exit polls will be released from late Sunday.

The vote comes two weeks after the first round of a presidential election that swept aside traditional political parties in favor of independent candidates, a trend likely to be repeated in the ballot for MPs.

More than 15,000 candidates on 1,500 lists are contesting 217 seats in a parliament dominated by the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha in alliance with centrist party Nidaa Tounes that has been decimated by infighting.

 

Via Arab News