Tunisia Sets Presidential Vote for September 15

Tunisia’s presidential vote will be held on September 15, according to an announcement by the North African country’s electoral body. Potential nominees must submit their candidacy from August 2-9, and campaigns are scheduled to run from September 2-13. The results will be announced two days after the poll. The electoral body rejected calls to postpone the vote following last month’s death of 92-year-old president Beji Caid Essebsi, who became the country’s first-ever democratically elected leader in 2014. Tunisia’s biggest political party, the moderate Islamist Ennahda, on Tuesday named party vice president Abdel Fattah Mourou as its candidate for the post. The Tahaya Tounes party announced that Prime Minister Youssef Chahed will run. Other candidates include former prime minister Mehdi Jomaa and former interim president Moncef Marzouki. Tunisia’s president mainly has authority over foreign and defense policy.