Polling stations across Tunisia opened on Sunday for the country's presidential elections, with three candidates running, including one in jail.
The polls came amid a struggling economy and political tensions in the country. Voter Sadok Souissi said he views voting as a democratic tool for economic changes in the country.
"Employment is a top priority for Tunisian youths. Improving the economy will pave the way for the creation of job opportunities and development. I have voted and I'm optimistic about the future of my country," he said.
Voting started at 08:00 local time and closed at 18:00 local time at 5,013 voting centers and 9,669 polling stations across the country.
A total of 9,753,217 people are eligible to elect a new president between the three candidates: incumbent President Kais Saied, who is running for a second five-year term; Zouhair Maghzaoui, secretary-general of the People's Movement party; and Ayachi Zammel, secretary-general of the Azimoun Movement, who remains in detention for alleged election-related irregularities.
"As the supervisor of the voting operation at this polling station, I'm glad that the operation is smooth. We have provided all conditions with a successful vote. There is an important turnout and independent observers here to monitor the election," said Nour Eddine Jouini, head of a polling station. "I have voted and I'm very optimistic that the success of the presidential elections will guarantee stability in the country. The situation will improve. We have to be patient," said Zeinab, another voter.
The preliminary results of the election will be announced Monday evening, and the final results will be announced by Wednesday at the latest, according to the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE).
According to the estimated results of a poll by Sigma Conseil, a Tunisian survey company, Saied won 89.2 percent of the vote, followed by Ayachi Zammel with 6.9 percent and Zouhair Maghzaoui with 3.9 percent.
Tunisians vote in presidential elections
An official from a United Nations (UN) humanitarian agency emphasized on Sunday that there is a long way to go to rebuild Gaza physically, mentally, and culturally after the conflict.
Georgios Petropoulos, head of the Sub-office in Gaza for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that reconstruction of Gazan society will take far more than erecting new buildings.
"It's a mathematical equation of time and money, as it usually is. But to rebuild a society and an economy and a culture, that takes a little bit longer, as we all know. And the rebuilding is not just the physical aspects of schools, hospitals, universities and and homes, but it's to rebuild and to plan for and to repair the damage that's going to be done to children that may be out of school for almost two years, to families that have been completely decimated, they had loved ones killed. An agricultural system which used to be lively, which is on its knees, fisheries that are destroyed, unemployment that is almost complete now, you know you have to understand that at this point we don't even have the ability to bring cash into Gaza. So whatever you have can't really move around in the market," he said.
"Thousands of children will not be able to rebuild their lives because they don't have any legs or arms. They've been blown off there. They're the most significant and tragic victims of this war," the UN official added.
Although the UN is working on an early recovery plan, a ceasefire -- which is essential for Gaza's reconstruction -- must first be achieved, Petropoulos said.
"So rebuilding Gaza, I think, is an easy question with a very complicated answer. I can tell you that the United Nations and partners, as we do, are already working with donors in member states on an early recovery plan and the development process. But that's all going to have to be in the air until we understand exactly what the intentions and the political will is around not just a ceasefire, but stopping the daily tragedy of the people in Gaza and seeing how long it's going to take for them to stop being under fire, and how long it's going to take for the hostages to be sent back to their families. They have now also spent a year waiting with no word for hundreds of people that should be in the safe arms of their family," he said.
"So until those two things come to play, we're not going to have an answer of how long it's going to take to rebuild Gaza. And I think the last thing that I'll say on that is that my hope, and our hope is that whatever that rebuilding takes, the planning includes the people of Gaza -- how they want to see their land look and how they want it to be run, and what they want their future to look like," Petropoulos continued.
Long way to go to rebuild society Gaza after conflict: UN official
Long way to go to rebuild society Gaza after conflict: UN official
