Tunisia’s Ennahda movement picks presidential candidate

TUNIS

Tunisia’s Ennahda movement has nominated Abdelfattah Mourou as its candidate for presidential elections scheduled for mid-September, an official from the movement's press office said late Tuesday.

Mourou was unanimously chosen as the movement’s candidate at its Shura Council meeting in the northeastern city of Al-Hammamat, the official said.

The candidacy of Mourou, who is Ennahda’s vice president, was proposed by the movement's leader, Rachid Ghannouchi, the official added.

Last week, Tunisia's independent electoral commission announced that early presidential elections would take place Sept. 15 instead of in November.

Candidates are expected to submit their applications between Aug. 2-9, according to the commission.

On July 25, Mohamed Ennaceur, the speaker of the Tunisian Parliament, became the country's interim president, succeeding Beji Caid Essebsi, who died last month at the age of 92.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev