Polls close in Tunisian election

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)

STORY: Polling stations across Tunisia closed on Sunday (December 21), marking the end of a presidential run-off election that completes the country's transition to full democracy nearly four years after an uprising which ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.

The polls closed at 6 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) and election workers began counting votes and collecting papers.

In the first round of voting in November, the frontrunner Beji Caid Essebsi, a former Parliament Speaker under Ben Ali, won 39 percent of votes, while the current President Moncef Marzouki took 33 percent of the ballots.

On Sunday, polling opened at 8 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) with a heavy security presence at voting stations around the capital Tunis.

Voters were seen queuing outside many polling stations throughout the day.

With a new progressive constitution and a full parliament elected in October, Tunisia is hailed as an example of democratic