TUNIS
Tunisia's independent election commission decided on Friday to delay the announcement of final results from Sunday's presidential runoff – which should have been announced today – until an appeal against preliminary vote results can be examined.
"Final results will be announced on Monday," commission chairman Chafiq Sersar said.
At a press conference held in Tunis, he said that two citizens had legally challenged the preliminary results in the country's Administrative Court.
Sersar explained that, according to Tunisia's election law, only the candidates themselves are entitled to appeal election results.
Sunday's presidential runoff pitted the head of the Nidaa Tounes party, Beji Caid Essebsi, against Interim President Moncef Marzouki.
According to preliminary results, Essebsi won the runoff poll with 55.68 percent of the vote, while Marzouki picked up 44.32 percent.
The presidential election was Tunisia's first since the departure of former President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in early 2011 following a popular uprising.
Sersar said Marzouki had sent a letter to the electoral commission in which he held it responsible for what he described as "numerous violations" committed during Sunday's vote.
Sersar went on to assert that the electoral commission was being subject to a "systematic" campaign aimed at casting doubt on the election results.
www.aa.com.tr/en
