Tunisian Ennahda Islamist party takes lead

Tunisia, Ennahda party has emerged as the single largest party in the elections. According to official results declared by the Tunisian Electoral Commission, Ennahda has won 28 out of 64 seats within the country so far. The party has bagged 9 seats reserved for expatriate Tunisians living abroad.Tunisia's Ennahda party took the lead in early official results on Wednesday, with 15 of 39 seats in five polling districts, including the cities of Sousse and Sfax, the ISIE elections body said.
The leftist Congress for the Republic (CPR) was in second place with six seats, followed by a list led by independent candidate Hachmi Haamdi, a rich London-based businessman, with five seats, it said at a press conference.

The results were for the eastern coastal cities of Sousse and Sfax, Tunisia's second city, as well as Jendouba in the northwest and Kebili, a desert town in the centre.

Ennahda now has 37 out of 82 seats which accounts for nearly 45 percent votes. Congress for the Republic has bagged 13 seats within the country and 4 seats reserved for expatriates and is set to join a coalition with Ennahda.

Left wing Ettakatol party has made gains and indicated that it would form a stable coalition. A record 90 percent Tunisians cast their votes for a 217 member National Assembly on Sunday. 199 seats were in Tunisia while remaining 18 seats were reserved for Tunisians living abroad. Massive numbers of voters elected a new 217-member assembly Sunday in Tunisia's first elections since the toppling of dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali in a popular uprising in January that sparked the Arab Spring.

The assembly will rewrite the constitution and appoint a new caretaker president and government for the duration of the drafting process. It will also have interim authority to write laws and pass budgets.Media agencies