Tunisian Presidential Election to Be Held on Sep. 15

The independent supreme electoral commission of Tunisia set next September 15 as presidential election date.

Head of parliament Mohamed Ennaceur was sworn in as interim president following the death of the 92-year-old President Beji Caid Essebsi.

The Tunisian government has declared seven days of mourning following the death of Essebsi. While a funeral for Essebsi is planned on Saturday.

According to the Tunisian constitution, the parliament head takes over for a period of 45 to 90 days, until new elections are organized.

Ennaceur appealed for unity in the country to achieve further progress and meet the aspirations of the Tunisian people.

In a speech broadcast on state television, the interim Tunisian President pledged to work on establishing the principles of social peace, supporting dialogue among various parties and maintaining gains achieved by Tunisia

The 85-year-old interim president, who served as Speaker of parliament since 2014, also called on national parties, organizations and associations to trust state institutions to keep Tunisia free and independent.

Noteworthy, Essebsi died at a military hospital in Tunis on Thursday.

According to a brief life published by AP: He was born Nov. 29, 1926 when Tunisia was a French protectorate, Essebsi entered politics in the 1940’s and trained as a lawyer in Paris. But his name is most associated with Tunisia’s first president, Habib Bourguiba, who built up the country and educated its people — and brooked little opposition.

Essebsi proudly claimed to be Bourguiba’s disciple, and from 1965 to 1986, he held several senior roles including defense minister, foreign minister and interior minister.

After Bourguiba was overthrown in a bloodless coup by Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in 1987, Essebsi took up a quiet life as a lawyer and author, until his re-emergence when he won office in 2014.