Tunisia election Marzouki refuses to admit defeat

BBC Online :Moncef Marzouki has refused to admit defeat in Tunisia’s first free presidential election after exit polls suggested Beji Caid Essebsi had won.The caretaker president, a former exile, said his rival’s declaration of victory was “undemocratic”.Mr Essebsi, 88, has been celebrating with supporters, telling them all Tunisians now need to “work together”, and promising to bring stability.Critics say his success marks the return of a discredited establishment.Official results are not expected until Monday evening. One exit poll gave Mr Essebsi 55.5%, with several others showing similar figures.The election marks the last stage of Tunisia’s move to democracy, after the 2011 overthrow of President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali.It is the first time Tunisians have been able vote freely for their president since independence from France in 1956.Moncef Marzouki’s response to Beji Caid Essebsi declaration of victory perhaps sounded rather indignant. But Tunisia’s incumbent president clarified on Sunday he would accept the official results once they had been announced by the election authorities.Observers who were deployed across the country in their thousands have not raised serious concerns so far. Should that change, there are legal systems in place for either candidate if they wish to challenge the result.And while this election is an historic achievement, it is important to remember that the new democratically elected president will be less powerful than his predecessors.