Tunisia’s fight for democracy that was launched in January 2011 will hopefully be concluded with the country’s first free elections. The revolution in Tunisia, which kicked off the Arab Spring, kicked off when Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire in front of a local municipal building in the town of Sidi Bouzid. And 10 months following the ousting of former president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, citizens have hit the polls in high numbers.
According to reports coming out of the country the number of citizens hitting the polls is high, some saying almost 70% with lines stretching hundreds of meters outside polling stations across the country. A Reuters report had Kamel Jandoubi, head of the independent commission organizing the vote, saying turnout was nearly 70%, but there were still a few hours left before polls closed.
In some areas where polling booths had shut, people were still waiting to vote. Election officers in the conservative district of Tunis said some 300 people still in line would be allowed to cast votes. "Everyone who is inside will be allowed vote, even if it takes us to midnight," an officer said.
There are a number of parties participating in the polls;a total of 117 parties registered and around 80 actually participated; only a handful are expected to win any seats. According to political analysts however, the importance of these elections are not which party wins the popular vote for the constituent assembly, but rather who votes and which way will they vote. In other words will they go secular or Islamist?
As the votes are tallied, Tunisia and the Arab world at large will know if the fight for democracy paid off. As the first of the Arab Spring countries to host an election you can be sure its neighbors Egypt and Libya are watching to see how it is done.
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