After counting most votes in Tunisia's presidential election, leader of the Nidaa Tounes Party Beji Caid Essebsi, an 88-year-old official from previous regimes, claimed his victory against his opponent Moncef Marzouki. With 75 percent of votes counted, Essebsi won 54.5 percent of votes, while his contender, caretaker President Moncef Marzouki, clinched 45.5 percent according to unofficial results. Official results will be released on next Monday. Tunisians voted in parliamentary elections last month with the secular-wing party Nidaa Tounes winning the elections after gaining 85 seats in parliament while the Islamist Ennahda Party gained 69 seats.Tunisia has largely distanced itself from the religious and sectarian chaos of the region that affected Yemen, Libya, Iraq and Syria. Also, the country has not shared the same fate with Egypt where the army ousted the first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi. Despite the tension near the Libyan border due to the al-Qaida-inspired Salafi militants and assassination of prominent opposition figures last year, the country has remained on the route of democracy. Tunisia also appeared as the only Arab country where power is shared among Islamists and seculars after the ruling Ennahda party accepted allying with seculars through adopting an unprecedented constitution last year. Therefore, political scientists and regional experts have been favoring Tunisia as a role-model for other Arab countries who have dragged into chaos either under dictatorial rules or under the influence of extremist groups.Essebsi was born in 1926 and studied law in Paris, becoming a lawyer in 1952. From 1957 to 1971, he performed various functions such as director of the regional administration, general director of the Sûreté Nationale, Interior Minister from July 5, 1965 to Sept. 8, 1969, minister-delegate to the prime minister and defense minister from Nov. 7, 1969 to June 12, 1970 and then ambassador to France. From October 1971 to January 1972, he advocated greater democracy in Tunisia and resigned his function, then returned to Tunis. In April 1981, he came back to the government under Mohamed Mzali as minister of foreign affairs, serving until September 1986. In 1987, he was appointed as ambassador to Germany. From 1990 to 1991 he was the president of the Chamber of Deputies. His last parliamentary mandate ended in 1994.With Sebsi's candidacy, the ousted Ben Ali regime's elements also return to Tunisian politics as Sebsi served as interior minister under Tunisia's first president, Habib Bourguiba, and was later speaker of parliament under Ben Ali. He also fulfilled the prime ministry position during an interim government in 2011, after the former Prime Minister Gannouchi resigned due to the killing of five protesters. Nidaa Tounes rejects the notion that the 88-year-old candidate represents the ancient regime and will harm the gains that were made after the revolution. However, the pro-Ennahda Tunisians are skeptical of him due to his close relations with Ben Ali.