92-year-old Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, is reportedly hospitalised after suffering a “severe health crisis”. No further details have been released however social media reports of his death have been branded fake news by the PM Youssef Chahed. Mr Essebsi won Tunisia’s first free elections in 2014 following the so-called “Arab Spring” and to date, Tunisia under his rule remains the only democracy to emerge from the uprisings. He had previously announced that he would not stand for re-election in November.
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President Essebsi despite his success in establishing democracy has not been without his critics and since he led the Nida Tounes (Call of Tunisia) party to power there has been considerable secular tension with regular Islamist terrorist attacks taking place (including two last Thursday) and the economy and high unemployment remain issues.
Still he has done what he [promised back in 2014 and delivered democracy to the country and hopefully he will be well enough to see out his presidency.
