Mohamed Ali Latifi-Tunisia

Amid a heavy security presence in front of her, polling stations in Tunisia this morning opened their doors to some seven million voters, who will choose their president democratically for the second time since the revolution in 2011 ousted ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Hundreds of voters lined up to choose their new president, who will succeed the late President Béji Kaid Essebsi, who passed away on July 25, 92 years ago.

These voters dominated the elderly, the elderly and women, while young people were largely absent, Al Jazeera noted. Voting rates are usually modest in the morning, rising in the afternoon and before polling stations close.

Twenty-six candidates are competing in these elections, which are secured by 70,000 members of the security forces and 10,000 observers.

Voters wait in front of polling station (Reuters)


A rare experience
Abdel Raouf Abbasi (unemployed) says that Tunisians went to the polling stations to exercise their right to experience described as rare Arab, adding that the Tunisians exercise their right to vote consciously, and that there is maturity in the selection of candidates.

For his part, says Ramzi Karawi, who went since the early hours of the morning to vote - he is pleased with this election wedding as all Tunisians, pointing out that he is eagerly awaiting the preliminary results that will be published by non-governmental organizations and think-tanks this evening, provided that the Independent High Electoral Commission The initial day after Tuesday.

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) set 13th, 14th and 15th of this month to vote in offices abroad, while voting within the country for only one day in the first round of the presidential elections, and about seven million voters are eligible to vote in the elections in Tunisia.

Limited abuses
Despite tight procedures imposed by the Electoral College, voters observed some vote-buying in front of some polling stations.

According to Youssef Messaoudi (unemployed), some parties have corrupted this electoral wedding in exchange for giving twenty dinars (about $ 7) to vote for their candidates, pointing out that "this is happening in the dark rooms and in front of polling stations in the region ".

The elderly were the dominant category of voters in the morning polling period (Reuters)


Voters are waiting to deliver on what campaigners promised. According to Yousra Ben Mohamed, who has a high degree in tourism, Tunisia needs a president to get rid of its economic crisis.

She also stressed in her talk to Al Jazeera Net on the need for the President to take more security measures to improve the reality of the province of Kasserine, and to send projects and encourage investment within the marginalized provinces, especially the cradle of the revolution.

For his part, Fahad Farahi said that many projects must be accomplished through improving infrastructure, encouraging agricultural projects and employing young people, adding that his voice will be the candidate that gives more opportunity to the interior provinces in development.

According to the head of the Electoral Commission, 250 polling stations in the west of the country in the border areas open from ten in the morning, and closed at four in the evening, for security reasons.