Essebsi, the country’s first head of state elected in nationwide polls, died on Thursday at the age of 92, triggering fears of political unrest in a country seen as a rare success story following the Arab Spring uprisings.
Meanwhile, the body of Beji Caid Essebsi was transferred from a military hospital to the presidential palace in Tunis on Friday, as the country prepared for the funeral.
Crowds gathered in front of the hospital to pay their respects as the body was transferred in a military vehicle. The body will be buried on Saturday in an event that is expected to be attended by heads of states.
Essebsi took office in 2014 as Tunisia’s first democratically-elected president.Parliament Speaker Mohamed Ennaceur has been sworn in as interim president. The 2014 constitution states that the head of the parliament can take office for a maximum period of 90 days.
The election commission has announced that the November presidential polls will be held on September 15.
Newspapers on Friday paid tribute to “the father of consensus”, while festivals were cancelled and the government declared seven days of mourning.
“Our pain is great, our sorrow is immense,” read an editorial in French language daily Le Temps.
Hundreds of people — some in tears — gathered outside a military hospital in Tunis on Friday as Essebsi’s body was taken to the presidential palace in nearby Carthage for a private burial.
Within hours of Essebsi’s death, parliament speaker Mohamed Ennaceur was sworn in as interim president, who under the constitution has 90 days to organise a presidential election.
The electoral commission said the poll would “probably” be held on September 15, two months earlier than planned.
Foreign governments including that of former colonial power France have hailed Essebsi’s role in Tunisia’s democratic transition, with nearby Algeria and Mauritania declaring three days of mourning.
The main funeral ceremony is to take place on Saturday and French President Emmanuel Macron’s office announced he would attend.
The birthplace of the Arab Spring revolts, Tunisia is the only country affected by the uprisings to have pushed through democratic reforms — despite political unrest, a sluggish economy and fighter attacks.
Extremists have staged repeated deadly attacks since the overthrow of Ben Ali, raising fears for the country’s fragile democracy and throttling its tourism industry.
Following Ben Ali’s departure, Essebsi founded the secularist Nidaa Tounes (Call of Tunis) party, which he led to victory at the polls in 2014. — AFP
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