Tunisia Islamists take four of 10 seats reserved for France

Election officials said Ennahda was big winner in France's two electoral districts,taking 33.7% of votes.

Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda party won four of 10 seats reserved for Tunisians living in France following the north African country’s first free election,according to results announced today.

Some 1.1 million Tunisians living abroad voted Thursday,Friday and Saturday for a constituent assembly,which is to rewrite the constitution and appoint a president to form a caretaker government until fresh polls.

Of the 18 seats reserved for Tunisians abroad,10 are in former colonial power France,home to more than 500,000 Tunisians.

Election officials said Ennahda was the big winner in France’s two electoral districts,taking 33.7 per cent of the vote in northern France and 30.23 per cent in the south,entitling it to four seats.

The party was followed by Moncef Marzouki’s leftist nationalist CPR,which took two seats,the secular left-wing Ettakatol party with two seats and the left-wing Democratic Modernists with one seat.

Independent candidate Hechmi Haamdi,a wealthy businessman who runs the London-based Al-Mostakilla television channel,took the final seat by winning 10.17 per cent of the vote in southern France.

In total,119,468 Tunisians voted in France in the election,officials said.

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Following the win,the head of Ennahda’s party list in northern France,Ameur Larayedh,sought to dismiss fears that it has an Islamist agenda.

We said it before and during the elections,and we are repeating it afterward,we will work with all sides,with all political forces, Larayedh said.

We will be looking to guarantee all public and,especially,individual freedoms — freedom of thought,expression and organisation.