Veteran Essebsi wins Tunisia's first free presidential vote

Nidaa Tounes (Call of Tunisia) party supporters wave flags and shout slogans as they celebrate after their party's veteran Tunisian politician Beji Caid Essebsi (C, pictured in poster) won the country's first free presidential election, in Tunis December 22, 2014. REUTERS/Anis Mili

TUNIS (Reuters) - Veteran Tunisian politician Beji Caid Essebsi won the country's first free presidential election in the final step of a transition to democracy after an uprising that ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

Essebsi, a former Ben Ali official, beat rival Moncef Marzouki with 55.68 percent of the vote against 44.32 percent in Sunday's run-off ballot between the two men, according to results released on Monday by electoral authorities.