Ban applauds Tunisian presidential vote

Ban applauds Tunisian presidential vote as country’s democratic transition continues

24 November 2014 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today extended his congratulations to the people of Tunisia on the occasion of their first presidential election since revolution swept the country and ushered in an era of democratic change.

“The polls, conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner, mark an important step forward for the country’s political transition process,” Mr. Ban said, in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

Last January, Tunisia’s Parliament adopted a new constitution, the country’s first since massive public demonstrations ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in early 2011, the first regime to be toppled in the so-called Arab Spring.

And in October, the country held legislative elections which the Secretary-General welcomed as a “crucial step for the country’s future” and a “decisive milestone in the transition to democracy.”

In his statement from today, Mr. Ban commended the work of Tunisia’s High Independent Authority for Elections and reaffirmed the UN’s continued support for the consolidation of the democratic process in the North African nation.

ENDS

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