Essebsi Leads Tunisia Presidential Vote: Exit Polls

After counting most votes in Tunisia's presidential election, leader of the Nidaa Tounes Party Beji Caid Essebsi is leading the runoff polls.



With 75 percent of votes counted, Essebsi won 54.5 percent of votes, while his contender, caretaker President Moncef Marzouki, clinched 45.5 percent, according to an Anadolu Agency tally.



There has been no comment from Marzouki's campaign



Official results are yet to be announced.



A leading member of Essebsi's presidential team had earlier said that initial runoff poll indications had shown his candidate winning Sunday's vote.



Essebsi, 88, had served as a parliament speaker under long-serving President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted by a popular revolution in 2011.



Victory for Essebsi would enable him to consolidate power after his Nidaa Tounes Party won most seats in parliament in October.



Sunday's presidential election is the first in Tunisia since Ben Ali's ouster.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Tunis