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Rachid al-Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia's Ennahda Islamist movement, hailed as "historic" the presidential election day in his country, saying the day is a milestone that will "bring pride to Tunisians for generations to come."
"There is no fear from paddling back to the days of tyranny and injustice. The people of Tunisia are forging their own destiny," al-Ghannouchi told reporters at polling station in the northeastern province of Ben Arous where he cast his ballot.
"The presidential election is a step on a long road. What is needed today is to continue this road until Tunisia serves as a model of civilizations," he added.
Polls opened at 8am local time (07: 00 GMT) as nearly 5.2 million eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots in a vote billed as the first free presidential election in the country that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings three years ago.
Ennahda came in second in last month's parliamentary election with 69 seats, trailing the centrist Nidaa Tounes party, which clinched 85 assembly seats.
The Islamist movement refrained from fielding a presidential candidate drawn from within its own ranks and asserted that it would not back any of the 27 candidate vying for the office.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en - Tunis
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