24 December 2014
The Tunisian electoral run-off has handed victory to Beji Caid Essebsi. With 55.7% of the vote, the 88-year-old whose career developed alongside President Bourghiba, has become Tunisia’s third head of state. The second candidate, Moncef al-Marzuqi – former interim president and before that a human rights activists who spent time in Ben Ali’s prisons – won 44.32% of the votes (1,378,513) proving to be a worthy challenger. Turnout fell slightly from 64% in the first ballot to 59% in the second.