Tunisia’s electoral organising body, the Independent High Authority for the Elections (ISIE), has set 21 December as the date for the second round of the country’s presidential election.

Beji Caid Essebsi, the leader of the secular party Nidaa Tounes, will face the incumbent president, Moncef Marzouki, in the vote.

Marzouki won 33.43 per cent of the first round vote, while Essebsi won 39.46 per cent.

A 50 per cent margin was needed for an outright win.

Nidaa Tounes prevailed in the parliamentary elections that took place in October, taking 85 seats in the 217-seat assembly.

From the Arab nations that rose up in 2011 against their incumben leaders, Tunisia has made the most progress towards becoming a fully democratic state.