Riyaz Patel
Tunisians are voting in what commentators say is an “unpredictable” presidential election.
Some 13000 polling centers for the early poll opened Sunday in the North African country’s 24 provinces.
People are voting for their new president to replace former President Beji Caid Essebsi, who died on July 25 at the age of 92.
The elections also signals the second presidential election since the overthrow of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, which sparked the Arab Spring.
Tunisia’s Independent High Authority for Elections said preliminary results will be announced on 17 September.
If none of the candidates obtains an absolute majority in this round, a second round will be held within two weeks after the announcement of the final results.
The country’s Interior Ministry confirmed Saturday that at least 70,000 security personnel are deployed in different parts of the country to ensure the poll is smooth.
More than 7 million registered voters in Tunisia are expected to head to the polls for the presidential election.
