Tunisia approves election calendar law

Tunisia's parliament on Wednesday approved a draft law, according to which parliamentary and presidential elections are to be held on Oct. 26 and Nov. 23 separately, marking a major step to end the country's long- standing political crisis.
After months of tough talks among the country's political parties, the National Constituent Assembly has finally approved the timetable with 125 votes in favor, 13 nay votes, and 17 abstained.
Also according to the freshly-fixed voting timeline, the second round of presidential voting, if necessary, will be held at the end of 2014.
Since former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in 2011, Tunisians have awaited the re-formation of government institutions. However, the debates over the sequence of elections among different political factions have triggered a political impasse in the country.
Previously, the country's elections authority chief Chafik Sarsar said that both presidential and legislative elections must take place before the end of 2014, and that any delay would be considered a "constitutional violation."
According to the newly approved elections calendar law, eligible Tunisians living abroad will vote on Oct. 24-26 for their legislative representatives, and on Nov. 21-23 for president.
The nationwide voting registration for both elections has started on Monday, and will last until July 22.