TUNIS, Tunisia - The moderate Islamist party that appears to have won Tunisia's landmark elections was in talks with rivals Tuesday about forming an interim coalition government to lead the birthplace of the Arab Spring through its transition to democracy.
Partial results released supported the Ennahda party's claims that it won at least 40 percent of the seats in a 217-member assembly tasked with running the country and writing its new constitution. But results so far indicate the Islamists failed to win an outright majority, meaning a coalition must be formed.
Ennahda's ability to win an election as well as work with other groups will be closely watched in the Arab world, where other Islamist parties are to compete in elections soon. Independent observers have also praised Tunisia for pulling off what they called a free and fair election with few hassles despite months of uncertainty and instability.
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Tunisia has a strong secular tradition, and Ennahda officials promised a broad-based coalition.
"We will not exclude any party, independent personality or social movement," said Abdel Hamid Jelassi, Ennahda's campaign manager. "We were once the victims of a politics of exclusion, and our goal is to create a government of national unity."
He said the party already had a raft of measures set to be implemented next month to "address the urgent needs of the Tunisian people."
Some 18 percent of Tunisians are unemployed, especially youth, and the economy has been hard hit by a drop in tourism and the civil war in neighboring Libya.
The newly elected assembly is expected to appoint the interim government and spend a year writing a constitution before elections are held for a parliament and a permanent government.
Ennahda says it wants shariah, or Islamic law, to be the source of Tunisia's legislation, but also insists that the country's progressive personal status code is compatible with its ideals and that it respects all religions and creeds. It also has promised to safeguard women's rights.
