This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

This week, the first elections of the Arab Spring took place in Tunisia, the country where the protest movement began.

Tunisians, in their first free elections, voted Sunday for an assembly to write a new constitution. The Constituent Assembly also has to appoint a president and form a temporary government.

Late in the week, there was violence in Sidi Bouzid, the city where the protests against Tunisia's longtime president began. The violence started after election officials cancelled the results of seats won by the Popular List party. The officials said there were campaign violations. Official results show that an Islamist party, Ennahda, won more than forty percent of the seats in the assembly. Ennahda has begun talks with other parties on forming a coalition.

Party leader Rachid Ghannouchi said Friday that his party would work to form a new government in "friendliness" and "brotherhood."