Moderate Islamist Party Biggest Winner in Tunisian Polls

TUNIS: Ennahda, a moderate Islamist party of Tunisia, won 90 seats in a 217-member assembly tasked with writing a new constitution, reports Xinhua news agency citing official election results showed on Thursday night.

The party gained 41.47 percent of the votes cast in Sunday's Constituent Assembly election, the first in the country since the ouster of President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, election committee chief Kamel Jendoubi told a press conference in Tunis.

Ennahda was followed by the leftist Congress for the Republic ( CPR) headed by Moncef Marzouki with 30 seats and Mustapha Ben Jaafar's Ettakatol with 21 seats, Jendoubi said.

The CPR and Ettakatol obtained 13.82 percent and 9.68 percent of the votes respectively. The two parties have already voiced their willingness to join Ennahdha in setting up a popular unity government. Talks have already started as to the composition of the new government which will be announced no earlier than Nov 9.

Hundreds of Tunisian people marched in the town of Sidi Bouzid after election results were announced late Thursday, protesting against the canceling of seats obtained by Hechmi Hamdi's Aridha Chaabia in six electoral districts.

The party was accused of violating the campaign finance principles.

Around 7.3 million eligible voters elected the 217-member assembly tasked with drafting the country's new constitution and paving the way for legislative and presidential elections within 12 months.

- Bernama