He secured 55.68% of the vote in Sunday’s run-off, defeating caretaker
President, Moncef Marzouki who got 44.32% of the votes, the head of
the electoral commission said.
Mr Marzouki, a 67-year-old former exile, earlier refused to admit
defeat.
Mr Essebsi, 88, has urged all Tunisians to “work together” for stability
but critics say his win marks the return of a discredited establishment.
Tunisia was the first country to depose its leader in the Arab Spring
and inspired other uprisings in the region.
Tunisia boosted security for the elections and closed border posts with
Libya, which has been plagued by unrest.
A group of at least three attackers targeted a polling station near the
city of Kairouan on Sunday morning. Security forces say they killed
one attacker and arrested three.
Mr Essebsi appeared on local television after polls closed on Sunday,
saying, “I dedicate my victory to the martyrs of Tunisia”.
“I thank Marzouki, and now we should work together without
excluding anyone,” he added.
Supporters danced and let off fireworks outside the headquarters of
Mr Essebsi’s secular-leaning Nidaa Tounes party.
Mr Essebsi held office under both deposed President Zine el-Abedine
Ben Ali and Tunisia’s first post-independence leader, Habib Bourguiba.
He won the first round of voting last month with 39% of the vote.
He is popular in the wealthy, coastal regions, and based his appeal to
voters on stability and experience.

channelstv