Tunisia's newly elected President Kais Saied takes an oath at the Assembly of People's Representatives' headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, Oct. 23, 2019. According to Article 76 of the Tunisian Constitution, the elected president took the oath for the next five years before assuming his duty as president. Saied won the second round of the presidential election on Oct. 13 with 72.71 percent of the vote against 27.29 percent garnered by his contender Nabil Karoui, a businessman. (Photo by Adele Ezzine/Xinhua)
TUNIS, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia's newly elected President Kais Saied took an oath on Wednesday at the Assembly of People's Representatives' headquarters in the capital Tunis.
The session was attended by senior officials of the country and members of the diplomatic corps in Tunisia.
According to Article 76 of the Tunisian Constitution, the elected president took the oath for the next five years before assuming his duty as president.
"I swear by Almighty God to safeguard the independence of the homeland and the integrity of its territory, to respect the Constitution of the country and its legislation, to watch over its interests and to owe it allegiance," Saied said.
He stressed that the dignity of the homeland is of the dignity of its citizens.
Saied encouraged the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
"One bullet from a terrorist will be met with countless bullets," he said.
After taking the oath before the parliament, Kais Saied headed to the Carthage Palace in a formal procession where the handover ceremony took place with the acting President Mohamed Ennaceur.
"This is a remarkable day because it represents an important transition in the lives of the Tunisians," Ennaceur said in a brief statement.
"What distinguishes Tunisia is the smooth transition of power that has not affected the continuation of the state," he added.
Saied won the second round of the presidential election on Oct. 13 with 72.71 percent of the vote against 27.29 percent garnered by his contender Nabil Karoui, a businessman.
Saied, a constitutional professor born on Feb. 22, 1958, has become the eighth president of the Tunisian republic since its independence in 1956, and the second directly elected leader since the 2011 uprising.
It is worthy noting that the president of the Tunisian republic possesses the sovereign powers to determine the general orientations of the defense and foreign affairs, and to ensure the internal security of the republic.
