An exit poll showed the moderate Islamist Ennahda party narrowly emerging as the largest party in Tunisia's parliamentary elections Sunday, but with only a small proportion of votes, which may make it hard to build a governing coalition. The poll by Sigma Conseil, broadcast on state television, showed Ennahda with 17.5 percent of votes and the Heart of Tunisia party of detained media mogul Nabil Karoui with 15.6 percent.
However, turnout in the vote was only 41 percent, the electoral commission said, with many voters annoyed by years of ineffective coalitions that have been unable to address chronic economic problems.
Karoui is one of two candidates who made it through the first round of a presidential election last month to reach a runoff vote to be held next Sunday.
In the last election in 2014, it gained 27.8 percent of the votes and 69 seats, while the winner, Nidaa Tunis, took 37.6 percent and 86 seats.
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