Tunisians abroad start voting for President

October 16 , 2004 -- Tunisians abroad started Saturday casting their votes in the presidential elections

They are scheduled to continue voting until the 23rd of October.

Tunisian news agency reports point out that voters are coming in large numbers to the polling centers, especially in Paris and Lyon in France ; in Düsseldorf and Bonn in Germany ; in Brussels in Belgium ; in Beirut , Cairo , Damascus and the Palestinian Territories .

To enable Tunisians abroad to accomplish their electoral duty in their host countries, all administrative and legal steps have been taken to insure that voting procedures take place in the best possible conditions.

Voters will choose between four candidates : the incumbent President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Mr. Mohamed Bouchiha, secretary general of the Popular Unity Party (PUP), Mr. Mounir Beji, the president of the Social Liberal Party (PSL), and Mr. Mohamed Ali Halouani ("Ettajdid Movement").

President Ben Ali had been nominated by the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD). His candidacy was also endorsed by two other opposition parties --the Democratic Unionist Union (UDU) The Social Democratic Movement party (MDS), and has received the support of major national organizations and unions in the country.

Presidential and legislative elections will take place in Tunisia on Sunday, October 24, 2004.

Tunisian nationals abroad will cast their votes in the presidential elections, from October 16 to October 23, 2004 according to the following schedule

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