It was the first time presidential elections had been held since 1974, as Habib Bourguiba had been declared President-for-life the following year.
However, Bourguiba was declared medically unfit to rule in 1987, and was succeeded by Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
In the presidential election, Ben Ali was the only candidate to obtain endorsements from 30 political figures, as required by the Constitution.
[1] In the Chamber of Deputies election, the Constitutional Democratic Rally (a renamed Socialist Destourian Party) won 80.6 percent of the vote and all 141 seats.
Different sources offer ostensibly official figures that diverge significantly, particularly in respect to the share of votes received by the Ennahda Movement.