On October 25 night, victory celebrations erupted outside the modest office building in downtown Tunis where Ennahda is headquartered. A crowd of about a hundred party supporters gathered, singing the national anthem, clapping and chanting.

Tunisians awoke on October 25 to the front page of El Maghreb newspaper, which featured a giant photo of Ennahda leader Rachid Ghanouchi next to a saluting member of the presidential guard, with the caption "Ennahda close to the government?"

Meanwhile, the French-language daily Le Temps depicted a presidential throne on a pillar carrying the Ennahda logo, followed by smaller chairs atop two smaller columns labeled with the secular parties Congres pour la Republique (CPR) and Ettakatol.

Boubaker Bethabet, secretary-general of the Independent High Authority for the Election, told reporters at a news conference on October 25 that preliminary results were available for five districts. Of the 39 seats available in those districts, Ennahda took 15, CPR six and Ettakatol four. Those results still must be certified, he said.

Representatives from all three parties said their own preliminary results showed that Ennahda captured first place, followed by CPR and Ettakatol. The parties were already looking forward to the possibility of establishing a governing coalition in the future 217-seat Constituent Assembly.

CNN