Essebsi leads Tunisia presidential vote: Exit polls

Veteran politician Beji Caid Essebsi declared victory in Sunday's presidential run-off vote, seen as the last step in Tunisia's shift to democracy four years after an uprising ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.

Official results are not due until Monday and his rival, the incumbent president, Moncef Marzouki, refused to concede defeat. 

A tally by Turkish news agency Anadolu suggested that Essebsi had won 54.5 percent of votes, while Marzouki clinched 45.5 percent.

Soon after polls closed on Sunday, Essebi, an 88-year-old former parliament speaker under Ben Ali, who is supported by most of the old elite, said that he had won by a clear margin and jubilant supporters took to the streets of the capital to celebrate, chanting "Beji President!".

"Indications show that Essebsi had won the vote," the candidate's campaign manager Mohsen Marzouk told reporters in Tunis, shortly after vote-counting had kicked off.

Shortly afterward Essebsi, appeared before 2,000 supporters who gathered outside his campaign headquarters shouting "Long live Tunisia!"

"Tunisia needs all its children. We must work hand in hand," he said as supporters cheered.

However, Adnene Mancer, Marzouki’s campaign chief, accused the Essebsi camp of election “violations,” calling the results too close to call.

Rachid Ghannouchi, the head of the Ennahda movement, also called on Marzouki to not cast doubts about the election.

"We should not tarnish Tunisia's beautiful image by casting doubts on the poll results," Ghannouchi told the private Almutawasit TV channel late Sunday.

He said that the close vote result was a "real victory for Tunisia".

"We have to be proud of this," he said.

Victory for Essebi would allow him to solidify power, with his new party, Nidaa Tounes, already controlling most seats in parliament after defeating the main rival Ennadha party in legislative elections in October. Nidaa Tounnes has tried to present itself as the secular party and accuses Ennadha - seen as Tunisia's version of the Muslim Brotherhood - of being Islamist.

Essebsi has also accused Marzouki of being in Ennadha’s pocket and refused to take part in debates, labelling Marzouki an “extremist”.

Marzouki has, conversely, accused Essebsi, who served under Ben Ali's government, of wanting to restore autocratic rule in the country.

According to the electoral organisers, turnout stood at 59 percent, although Anadolu put the figure slightly lower at 56 percent. The vote was the first time a head of state has been freely elected since independence from France in 1956. A first round of voting – in which 27 candidates competed - took place on 23 November. Turnout was 64 percent with Essebsi winning some 1.9 million votes (39.4 percent) and Marzouki roughly 1.1 million votes (33.4 percent).

Ennahda, the most popular party in Tunisia’s first post-2011 parliamentary elections, have refused to back a candidate in the presidential elections.

Security was high, as Tunisian authorities stationed tens of thousands of soldiers and police on polling day. Hours before polling began in the early morning, a group of assailants attacked soldiers who were guarding ballot papers in the Kairouan region. According to the defence ministry, soldiers shot dead one and captured three others.

The Prime Minister Medhi Jomaa told AFP that the security situation was under control, condemning what he described as a “desperate attempt” to disrupt the election.

Police fired tear gas to disperse a few hundred protesters in a southern city who marched on the streets to denounce Essebsi's victory speech, the state news agency TAP reported.

Tunisia has mostly avoided the bitter post-revolt divisions that trouble Egypt and neighbouring Libya but tensions have nevertheless flared between various camps after the 2011 uprising.

Though the civil nature of Tunisia's political process has stood in stark contrast to recent presidential elections in Egypt and Syria – both of which stood accused of vote-rigging and intimidation of voters – the campaign trail has still seen bad will between the two camps.

Among other proposals, Essebsi has spoken of the need to build closer links with the country’s neighbours. Marzouki has, conversely, accused Essebsi, who served in former dictator Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali's government, of wanting to restore autocratic rule in the country.

He said should he take power he would "restore diplomatic relations with neighbouring countries – especially Egypt and Syria – without interfering in their internal affairs".