This archive report was first published on 25 July 2019.
Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi, the country's first freely elected leader, has died at the age of 92, according to the country's presidency.
Essebsi, who was the world's oldest head of state after Queen Elizabeth II, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday but officials did not disclose the reason for his hospitalization.
He had been admitted to hospital last month after suffering a severe health crisis, and in April, he announced that he would not seek re-election in the November polls, saying it was time to 'open the door to the youth.'
Essebsi, a former lawyer who studied in Paris, had a long political career, serving as interior minister and Speaker of parliament. He was voted into power in 2014, three years after the Arab Spring uprising toppled longtime despot Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
According to Tunisia's constitution, adopted in 2014, the prime minister can take over the president's responsibilities for a period of no more than 60 days in the case of a power vacuum, while the Speaker of parliament can assume the role for up to 90 days if the vacancy is longer.
