An-Nahda party calls itself moderate, but strong showing worries secularists
According to initial, unofficial estimates, the Islamist An-Nahda party is poised to win Tunisia’s first free elections, the Guardian reports. On Sunday the North African nation was the first country of the Arab Spring to head to the polls. The election will allocate seats in an interim assembly charged with drafting a new constitution within a year. An-Nahda, which was banned under Tunisia’s authoritarian regime, calls itself a moderate force, and says it does not harbour extremists in its ranks. However, prospect of a strong win by an Islamist group is bound to unnerve secularists in Tunisia and other Arab Spring countries. Final election results are expected tomorrow.