TUNIS
Secular Call of Tunisia is expected to be asked by the Tunisian president to form the country's new government after preliminary results showed it in the lead in a preliminary vote count.
According to the preliminary results of the vote count obtained by Anadolu Agency, Call of Tunisia won 38 percent of the parliament's 217 seats while Islamist Ennahda came second by 31 percent.
By that result, Call of Tunisia led by former premier Beji Caid el Sebsi would be asked in line with the recently-approved constitution to from the new government. Yet, it would have to form an alliance with other parties to secure parliamentary majority.
Near-final preliminary results show Call of Tunisia winning 83 seats (38 percent), Ennahda 68 (31 percent), Free Patriotic Union 17 (7 percent), Popular Front 12 (5 percent) and Afek Tounes 9 (4 percent).
The result came as a surprise as most observers expected Ennahda to win the vote and the Call of Tunisia to come second. In 2011, the Islamist movement won 41 percent (89 seats) of the country's 217-seat Constituent Assembly.
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