Essebsi's body moved to presidential palace in Tunis ahead of funeral

The body of late Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsiwas transferred from a military hospital to the presidential palacein Tunis on Friday, as the country prepared for the funeral.Essebsi died on Thursday at the age of 92.Crowds gathered in front of the hospital to pay their respects as thebody was transferred in a military vehicle.The body will be buried on Saturday in an event that is expected tobe attended by heads of states. Essebsi took office in 2014 as Tunisia's first democratically-electedpresident.Parliament Speaker Mohamed Ennaceur has been sworn in as interimpresident. The 2014 constitution states that the head of theparliament can take office for a maximum period of 90 days. The election commission has announced that the November presidentialpolls will be held on September 15. The upcoming presidential elections will be Tunisia's third after the2011 uprising that toppled long-time dictator Zine El Abidine BenAli.Parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in October.