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TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia's election commission has announced that 27 candidates will be competing in November's presidential election.
For the first time in the country's history, a woman, judge Kalthoum Kannou, will be running for president.
Tunisians overthrew their dictator in 2011 and will be completing their transition to a democracy with the election of a parliament in late October and a president on Nov. 23.
Polls show octogenarian politician Beji Caid Essebsi of the secular Nida Tunis (Tunisia Calls) party is the front runner.
Tunisia's powerful moderate Islamist party, Ennahda, said it will back a "consensual" candidate.
Other prominent candidates include incumbent President Moncef Marzouki, a human rights activist.
Commission head Chafiq Sarsar said Tuesday the 27 were chosen from 70 applications with the rest not meeting requirements.
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