Tunisia constituent body holds first session

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Source: Al Jazeera

Democratically elected assembly entrusted with recasting country's political system, meets in palace outside Tunis.


Tunisia has entered a new era of democracy with the inaugural session of its democratically elected constituent assembly, 10 months after a popular uprising ended the rule of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The 217-member assembly, the first elected body of the Arab Spring, confirmed on Tuesday a deal whereby the Ennahdha and two other parties divide the country's top three jobs between themselves.

As they had agreed, Ettakatol's Mustapha Ben Jaafar will be the president of the new assembly after he won 145 out of 217 votes. Results were announced shortly after 5pm local time on Tuesday evening.

Maya Jribi of the centre-left Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) - an opposition party - will be appointed vice-president, after winning 68 votes.

Tunisia's three main political parties formalised on Monday a power-sharing agreement reached in the wake of last month's polls.


Read more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/11/2011112217751533504.html