Five secular Tunisian parties merged on Saturday in an attempt to create a rival to Ennahda, the moderate Islamist party that swept to power in the first free elections last year.
Ennahda, which was banned under ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, won more than 40 percent of seats in a new constituent assembly last October and has gone on to form a government in coalition with two non-religious parties.
While a large number of secular parties split the liberal and leftist vote, Ennahda, as the only major religious party standing, scooped much of the conservative vote. [Reuters] Read more
