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Tunisia's elections kick off

TUNISIA, Oct 26 (KUNA) -- Tunisia's general elections kicked off on Sunday with over five million citizens heading to polling stations to cast their votes.
Tunisians will choose their representatives in the Parliament, ending the transitional period the country had seen since the fall of the regime of former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, according to the supreme international committee in charge of the elections.
There are about 10,000 or more candidates of 120 political parties participating in the elections, with 27 constituents in the country and six abroad. These are the first elections since the new constitution was issued in 2014.
The abroad elections are held from Oct 24 to 26, with the primary results set to be released on Oct 30, while the final results will be issued on November 24.

Shortly after the polling got started, Prime Minister of the interim government, Mehdi Jomaa, showed up at a polling station in Carthage north of capital and made a statement saying "today is a historic day with eyes of the world pinned on Tunisia.
"This is a day we have been waiting for a long time and we have exerted a great deal of efforts to secure all security and logistical needs to ensure that the polls be held in the best circumstances possible." "The Tunisians today will determine their destiny and will transform transitional institutions into permament ones," he said, expressing confidence that the nation would "succeed in making achievements." The interim President Moncef Marzouki cast his ballot at a center in Hammam-Sousse in Sousse, north of the capital, but abstained from talking to journalists.
The Neda Party leader, the 88-year-old Al Baji Gayed El Sabsi, stated that the polling is a significant indication regarding the country's political and security stability.
Rached Al-Ghannouchi of the Al-Nahda Party expressed hope the elections would pave way for solidifying the country's stability.
The elections are being held amid tight security measures involving some 80,000 security personnel. About 22,000 observers, including 600 foreigners, are overseeing the process. (end) nm.rk