The Tunisian leadership may soon be replaced for the second time since the Arab Spring began. In the country’s Sunday elections, Tunisians are forming a constituent assembly, which will rewrite the constitution and establish presidential elections.
The vote will bring to an end the transitional period in the country. Current Interim President of Tunisia Foued Mebazaa assured he is ready to resign after the constituent assembly is assembled.
“I will recognize the results whoever wins and whatever the color of the majority [in the future assembly]”, Mebazaa said, as cited by AFP. “I shall hand over power to whoever is chosen by the constituent assembly as the new president of the republic.”
More than 7 million Tunisians have a chance to exercise their freedom of choice and cast their votes for 217 members of the assembly. And with some 117 parties participating in the election, people have a great deal of choice.
The new democratic authority will be given the power to draft new country’s constitution. It is also expected to form a new government and appoint the date of presidential and parliamentary elections.
Moreover, the constituent assembly will be free to appoint a new interim president to rule the country up until the presidential elections.
In January 2011, Tunisia became the first Arab country, which has been released from more than 20 years of authoritarian leadership. Tunisian ex-President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and his family had to leave the country for Saudi Arabia during the uprising.
The success of the Tunisian revolution triggered similar processes in many other Arab countries – Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Libya and Yemen.