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Essebsi: Tunisia retreated in the last three years more than the previous 50 years

October 16, 2014 at 11:49 am

The chairperson of the Call of Tunisia Party and presidential candidate, Beji Caid Essebsi, said that: “The situations in Tunisia has retreated during the past three years more than the previous 50 years,” in reference to the transitional period that followed the overthrow of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, Anadolu news agency reported.

His comments came during a speech at a popular conference organised by the party in Bizerte, northern Tunisia, on the occasion of the annual commemoration of evacuation day, when the last French soldier left the country in 1963.

Anadolu‘s correspondent in Tunisia reported that Essebsi called on the sons of the Bizerte governorate to vote heavily on polling day for the secular list of the Call of Tunisia, in defence of what he called “the 21st century’s modern state project”, which his party is seeking to achieve away from any influence of the Islamic religion.

He added: “We are Muslims and our country will be a Muslim one, but we do not accept accusations from any party, and the list of the Call of Tunisia in Bizerte is one of the best lists that we bet on in the parliamentary elections.”

Candidates in Bizerte are competing for nine parliamentary seats out of 217 seats in total. The Call of Tunisia is participating in all the parliamentary elections with lists distributed across the 33 districts in Tunisia and abroad.

Tunisia has 24 governorates in total and each of them represent an electoral district, except for the governorates of Tunis, Nabeul and Sfax in the south, where each has two districts, making a total of 27 internal electoral districts, as well as six external ones to account for the Tunisian diaspora.

Tunisia is preparing for legislative elections that are taking place on the 26th of this month, followed by presidential elections on the 23rd of next month.

The parliamentary election campaign was launched on 4 October and will last until 23 October for Tunisians living abroad and 25 October for those residing inside the country, a day before the polls open nationally on 26 October.