Polling stations have opened for Tunisian voters Sunday morning to cast their ballots in the country's second post-revolutionary presidential election.
More than 7 million Tunisian voters go to the polling stations to select a new president from among 26 candidates.
The Tunisian Interior Ministry announced the deployment of about 70,000 national security personnel throughout the country, to secure election process, and the polling stations.
1,200 employees were assigned by Tunisia’s Independent Higher Authority for Elections (ISIE) to monitor the electoral campaigns.
The first round of the presidential election was scheduled on November 17, but due to the death of Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi on July 25, the ISIE decided to postpone it.
Youssef Chahed, 43, current PM, is among the presidential candidates many analysts expected him to receive considerable support from several different political currents.
Chahed is the leader of the newly-formed party, Tahya Tounes “Long Live Tunisia”, which he founded recently after splitting from ruling Nidaa Tounes party, led by late President Beji Caid Essebsi.
Among the candidates also Moncef Marzouki the former president who took over as president of Tunisia in the wake of Jasmine Revolution in 2011, and continued in office until he was defeated by Essebsi in the run-off elections in 2014.
Marzouki had been elected by means of an interim constitutional assembly in 2011, following Ben Ali’s fall during popular uprisings.
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