Tunisians voted yesterday in an election almost certain to extend the rule of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, the 73-year-old who has run the north African country for more than two decades.

International rights groups say the government has ensured a landslide victory by harassing the opposition, an allegation Mr Ben Ali said was part of a campaign of lies by opponents who were betraying their own country.

Western governments view mainly Muslim Tunisia as an ally in the Arab world and a moderate bulwark against Islamist extremism.

At home, many voters credit Mr Ben Ali with making Tunisia - which attracts millions of European tourists each summer - one of the most prosperous and stable states in a region that suffers from poverty and political turmoil.

At a polling station on Rue de Marseilles in the centre of Tunis, 50-year-old Nejia Azouzi said she had voted for Mr Ben Ali. "He is the saviour of the country," she said.

The President came to power in 1987 when doctors declared his predecessor, Habib Bourguiba, unfit to rule after more than 30 years in power. Mr Ben Ali won the last election five years ago with 94.4 per cent of the vote.

Tunisians were also electing members of Parliament in yesterday's poll. The Interior Ministry is scheduled to announce the official results today.

Hours before voting was finished, Tunisia's official news agency said turnout was just over 75 per cent. But with most Tunisians in little doubt about the outcome of the vote, enthusiasm was muted.

"What is the point in taking part?" said one young man in a cafe in Tunis, who asked not to be identified. "Everything that is happening is just a show."

The Tunisian government is sensitive about foreign criticism of the vote because it is expected to apply to the EU next year for "advanced status" - which could give it preferential trade terms and boost its international standing.