Tunisia, which lost its president Baji Caid al-Sibsi on Sunday, is preparing to hold early presidential elections in less than two months.
Hours after Sabsi's death, Mohamed al-Nasser, 85, the speaker of the People's Assembly, was sworn in to take over the interim presidency of the republic, as stipulated by the constitution.
The Tunisian government announced the death of Qais al-Sibsi at the age of 92 years mourning for a week, and the newspapers were issued yesterday in black and white, and canceled all the technical events.
The country appeared to be in a state of general grief, crying as its first president elected in a universal, democratic and direct vote in 2014.
The French-language newspaper Loutan said yesterday: "Dear President," and wrote: "Our grief is great and our pain is great."
The newspaper «Morocco» front page in black and white and put the title «and took off Baji Caid Sbssi .. End of an exceptional man».
The body of Qais al-Sibsi was taken yesterday morning from the military hospital in Tunis to the Carthage Palace in the northern suburb on board a military vehicle marked with the flag of the country under military and security guard.
As the body emerged, a few hundred Tunisians gathered to chant the national anthem while some cried, and some of the security forces greeted the military greeting as the march passed.
The army is organizing the funeral of the president today, in the presence of a large number of leaders and heads of state and foreign delegations, as announced by the Prime Minister Yusuf al-Shahid yesterday.
The Ministry of the Interior said in a statement yesterday that it will take "exceptional precautions by harnessing all human and material resources to secure the funeral procession at various stages, taking into account the spontaneous gatherings of citizens."
French President Emmanuel Macaron and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are expected to attend the funeral.
The president will be buried in the Al-Jalaz cemetery in the capital.
Baji's death comes months before the end of his term of office this year, and before the interim president Mohamed El-Nasser the challenge of organizing the elections within a period of 45 days and the maximum 90 days.
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) decided, after the death of Qais al-Sibsi, to change the election agenda and submit the presidential elections to September 15 in principle, while the parliamentary elections were due on 6 October.
Many Tunisians praised the swift and smooth transition to power, the day before yesterday.
The Commission took the time to consider the constitutionality of the laws of the functions of the Constitutional Court and approved, the day before yesterday, the vacancy of the post of head of state and the task of the President of Parliament Mohammed Al-Nasser to take over the presidency temporarily until the organization of elections.
Parliament revised the electoral law, which has sparked widespread controversy and has been advanced by the prime minister and would have eliminated many prominent rivals in the political landscape.
Baji, however, has not signed the law and the new revisions because he does not want to exclude anyone from participating according to one of the president's advisers.