Tunisia's Ben Ali wins fifth mandate

Tunisia's President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been re-elected for a fifth, five-year term, with 89.28 percent of votes, the Interior Ministry announced at dawn Monday. Though still a landslide, it was Ben Ali's lowest score since he took power in a bloodless palace coup in 1987 that authorities dub "The Change." He was last re-elected in 2004 with more than 94 percent of votes — a drop from his previous victories, which fluctuated between 99.2 and 99.7 percent.

His latest score reflected the increased space allowed to the opposition. Runner-up Mohamed Bouchiha won 5.01 percent of votes, and Ahmed Inoubli 3.80 percent. Both candidates were viewed as largely cosmetic opposition. The third candidate, Ahmed Brahim of the Ettajdid, or change movement, who presented himself in the campaign as "a real opposition candidate," scored 1.57 percent of votes.

Tunisians also chose 214 lawmakers for the lower house of parliament in Sunday's presidential and legislative elections. Ben Ali's Constitutional and Democratic Rally, or RCD, which has been continuously in power since Tunisia's independence in 1956, won 161 seats. A sprinkling of small opposition and independent parties shared the remaining 53. Hard-line opposition groups and Islamists are outlawed and did not take part in the elections.

AP