(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Tunisia's new parliament held its inaugural session yesterday. Lawmakers took their seats following the first parliamentary election in the North African nation since the overthrow of strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali four years ago. "Tunisia has managed to secure a peaceful power transfer in a fluid and civilised manner that will ensure the gradual introduction of democratic traditions," Mustapha Ben Jaafar, Speaker of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), a transitional body, told deputies. After the singing of the national anthem, Ben Jaafar opened the gathering of 217 members of the new parliament who were elected in October. The secular Nidaa Tounes party won 86 seats in the October 26 legislative polls, beating moderate Islamist movement Ennahda into second place with 69 seats. Under Tunisia's electoral system, the party with the largest number of votes has a mandate to form a coalition government. Nidaa Tounes has said it will not form a government before the second round of voting in a presidential election is completed at the end of December.
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