(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A low-profile law professor and a controversial media tycoon look set to compete in a run-off to become Tunisia's next president after more than half of votes from Sunday's election were counted -- a resounding rejection of the status quo in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
Kais Saied, a constitutional law professor, is currently first with 18.7% of ballots counted, while Nabil Karoui, the owner of a TV channel who's detained on corruption charges he denies, has 15.5%. The election commission gave the figures after tallying 52% of votes.
Tunisia's official election monitoring group, Mourakiboun, said that Karoui and Saied will compete in the next round, the state-run TAP news agency reported Monday. Another vote is needed if none of the two-dozen candidates secure more than 50% of ballots cast. Election authorities are due to give the final result by Tuesday.
Victory for an outsider candidate would be a serious blow for the country's major politicians ahead of October's legislative elections. While the North African nation has emerged from its uprising with a viable democracy, two thirds of the population say the government has failed to improve their lives. Since 2011, it has been hobbled by political infighting and sporadic militant attacks that have sapped the economy.
"There is anger, hatred and resentment of the people against the political elites, whether ruling or opposition, said Sadok Hammami, a Tunisian political analyst and media lecturer. Many voters "said that these elites betrayed the people and didn't represent them.
Among a diverse range of contenders, only four -- Karoui, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, Ennahda party deputy leader Abdelfattah Mourou and Defense Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi -- had widely been considered front-runners.
Karoui, 56, had become famous as a self-proclaimed ‘champion of the poor' for his TV shows in which he distributed charity to Tunisia's most needy. He was arrested last month on allegations of money-laundering that date back to 2016, and ran while still in prison.
Saied, whose rapid, fact-filled speeches during debates have won him the nickname ‘Robot Man,' on Sunday hailed a shock exit poll that showed him on course for victory. In an interview with local reporters, the 61-year-old independent who'd had little media attention until then declared a "new stage in Tunisia's history.
Some of the country's youth say they've found inspiration in this austere figure, who campaigned on a platform of decentralizing responsibilities to local authorities to empower people.
"Young people lost all confidence in politicians, but today the youth have regained their confidence via Kais Saied, said Rayan Ben Souf, a 20-year-old student shopping in Tunis' central market on Monday. "He is against the system.
About 45% of Tunisia's roughly 7 million registered voters cast ballots, according to the election commission, down from around 60% in 2014's presidential contest.
"The turnout is acceptable and normal, but we hoped it would be higher, the commission's head, Nabil Baffoun, said on Sunday evening.
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