Voting under way in rebellious Tunisia

Voters in the North African country of Tunisia went to the polls Sunday in their first free and democratic election. The predominantly Muslim former French colony of 10 million people had the daunting task of voting for candidates from more than 110 parties, France 24 reported. There are 218 seats in the National Constituent Assembly and long lines at polling stations were seen by CNN reporters. Tunisia was one of the first Muslim countries to rebel against religious and autocratic rule in a political wave that began in January. The unrest led to further demonstrations in Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and most recently in neighboring Libya, where dissent evolved into civil war and saw military leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi killed. France 24's report struck a positive note on the unprecedented vote. "With a well-established secular tradition, a sizeable middle class, and progressive policies on women's rights, Tunisia is widely regarded as the region's best candidate for a successful transition to democracy," the news agency said.