The Tunisian presidency announced on social media on Thursday that Tunisian Presient Beji Caid Essebsi, has died. He was 92.
Essebsi had been hospitalized at the military hospital in Tunis on Wednesday night, according to the official statement. He was previously hospitalized with a “serious illness” on 27 June.
Essebsi was the first president democratically elected in 2014, three years after Zine el Abidine ben Ali was deposed. He died just months before the end of his mandate.
After his June hospitalization, Essebsi signed a decree earlier this month that called Tunisian voters to the polls for parliamentary elections on 6 October, and the presidential election on 17 November.
According to Tunisian head of government Youssef Chahed, Essebsi reportedly was against elections to be held sooner, which is what Chahed had proposed.
Early Thursday morning, Essebsi’s son, Hafedh, had posted a photo of his father waving goodbye on his Facebook page, before the news was officially confirmed.
#Tunisia - The Presidency of the Republic officially announces #Essebsi's death. pic.twitter.com/9b4Gg9ZTZ5
Sergio Altuna (@wellesbien) July 25, 2019
