The Islamist party Ennahda claims victory.

Ennahda claims victory

REUTERS - The Islamist Ennahda Monday night claimed victory in elections is the day before in Tunisia, the first democratic elections held since the beginning of the "Arab spring". No official results had been announced early Monday evening, but the Islamist group, which is prohibited under Zine Ben Ali said on the basis of the results posted at local polling stations it had won more than 30 % of the vote, coming in first place nationally and in most areas. "We will save the effort to forge a stable political alliance in the constituent assembly," said Abdelhamid Jlazzi, campaign director of Ennahda (Renaissance).

Without waiting for the announcement of results by the higher independent body elections (ISIE), the Democratic Progressive Party (PDP), secular training, conceded defeat. "The PDP respects the democratic game. The people have placed their trust in those he considered worthy of that trust. We congratulate the winner and we will sit in the opposition ranks," said Najib Chebbi's party in a statement sent to Reuters. Just over nine months after the fall of the regime of Ben Ali, January 14, Tunisians, pioneers of the "Arab Spring" turned out en masse Sunday to democratically elect a constituent assembly. Participation exceeded 90% of registered voters.

In all likelihood, Ennahda however, should not win an absolute majority in the assembly and could face a front of secular formations. Ennahda has worked throughout the campaign to present himself as the representative of moderate Islam modeled on the AKP, in power in Turkey. But part of the population concerned with the preservation of secularism historically attached to independent Tunisia, is concerned about the resurgence of the Islamists. Monday night, about fifty lay activists gathered outside the headquarters of the ISIE, calling for investigations into irregularities which they accuse the Islamists.

The 217 assembly members elected Sunday will write the new constitution of the country and form a new provisional government before the parliamentary and presidential elections due next year. Sunday, Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of Ennahda returned to Tunisia after 22 years of exile in Britain, spoke of "historic day". After leaving office, he was booed by dozens of people shouting "Get out!" and "You are a terrorist and a murderer! returned to London." Ennahda denies wanting to impose a strict application of religious principles in a Tunisian accustomed since decolonization a liberal lifestyle. To observers, the party is torn between a moderate leadership and a base may be more radical.

"Ennahda succeeded where we failed, we need to restructure, we must unite again," said Riadh Ben Fadhal, the Democratic Pole modernist (PDM, a coalition of center-left). The international community also closely these elections, which could provide an indication of the developments expected in the current upheaval in the Arab world. Barack Obama said the Tunisian revolution, which began on December 17 by the immolation of the young Mohamed Bouazizi gesture of despair in the face of unemployment and repression, had "changed the course of history." "Like so many Tunisians demonstrated peacefully in the streets and squares for their rights, they lined up today to vote and decide their own future," responded the president.

The Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the peaceful conduct of its elections and called "stakeholders to remain committed to the principles of transparency during the next phases of the transition." If confirmed, the victory of Ennahda would be the first success achieved by an Islamist group in the Arab world since Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006. In December 1991, the Islamic Front of Hi (FIS) won the first round of Algerian elections but the elections were finally quashed by the army.