New parliamentary leadership elected in Tunisia

Members of Tunisia's newly elected parliament have elected Mohamed Ennaceur as the new speaker of the house.

The members of the parliament chose their new leaders Thursday and Adbelfatteh Mourou was chosen as the first vice-president of the parliament, Xinhua reported.

Among the 214 members of parliament who cast their votes, 176 voted for Ennaceur as the new speaker.

Ennaceur is a representative of the Nidaa Tounes, which won the majority of seats in the elections, and is an 80 year-old social law expert.

He once served as a minister and an ambassador, and worked for organisations such as the UN.

The leftist Popular Front, which came fourth in the legislative polls, suggested their representative Mbarka Brahmi, the widow of the assassinated Mohamed Brahmi, as a candidate for the vice-presidentship of the parliament.

However, Nidaa Tounes members voted for Mourou, Ennahdha's candidate.

The vote is likely to affect the results of the presidential runoff, which is to take place within the next two weeks.

Leader of Nidaa Tounes, Beji Caid Essebsi, and current President Moncef Marzouki will be competing to be the country's first elected president since the popular uprisings, in the second round of the presidential polls.