The premier’s popularity has been tarnished by a sluggish economy and a high cost of living The election follows an intense campaign beset by personality clashes TUNIS: A polling firm has projected an independent outsider, Kais Saied, as the winner in the first round of Tunisia’s presidential election, with jailed media magnate Nabil Karoui in second place. Projections by Sigma Conseil do not show Prime Minister Youssef Chahed among the top four candidates in Sunday’s vote, which featured 26 contenders. Official preliminary results are expected by Tuesday. The projection gives Saied, a constitutional law professor without a party, 19.5% of the vote and Karoui 15.5%. Ranking third is the candidate for the moderate Islamist party Ennahdha, Abdelfattah Mourou, with 11%.