LOC01:49
22:49 GMT
WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo congratulated Tuesday the Tunisian people "who turned out over the weekend to exercise their hard won right to vote."
"We were impressed with Tunisia's independent elections commission, which increased voter confidence in the electoral system," Pompeo said in a statement.
He added that "citizens choosing their next President is a milestone on Tunisia's path to democracy."
Pompeo affirmed that the US "looks forward to working with President elect Kais Saied to continue the longstanding cooperation between our two countries."
On Monday, law professor Kais Saeid, 61, was officially named Tunisia's president after a landslide 72.71 percent second round election victory.
Saeid becomes the country's second democratically-elected leader since a revolution ousted Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, where Tunisia decided to hold early elections following the death of former president Beji Caid Essebsi in July. (end)
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