On Monday, Tunisia elected a leading human rights activist and former opposition leader as the country's first democratically elected president. Moncef Marzouki became the country's first interim president in the country that sparked the “Arab Spring” nearly one-year ago this week. Marzouki, of the Congress for the Republic Party, won 153 out of 217 votes in the country's new parliament, with three votes against, two abstentions and 44 blank ballots in protest. “It is the greatest honor that anyone could dream of being elected by two thirds of the vote,” he said after the election that was followed by a rendition of the national anthem. “I will exert all my efforts to be worthy of this trust,” he said. Marzouki for years struggled against Tunisia's dictator President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and was imprisoned in 1994 for after attempting to run against him as president. The election of the interim president follows the weekend approval of temporary bylaws to guide the nation until the assembly finishes a constitution. It also comes less than two months since elections and nearly one-year after Tunisians overthrew their longtime dictator Ben Ali – an uprising that sparked similar movements in other Arab states. This Saturday also marks the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, who many believe is singularly responsible for giving speed and urgency to the uprisings that have captivated the Middle East and already ousted four leaders. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/tdFPJ Tags: Moncef Marzouki, President, Revolution Section: Latest News, Tunisia
