London: Voting began in Tunisia Sunday for the first presidential election since the 2011 "Arab Spring" that triggered uprisings across the region.

More than 25 candidates are in the fray, but incumbent Moncef Marzouki and anti-Islamist leader Beji Caid Essebsi are widely seen as the favourites, BBC reported.

The election forms part of political changes since the revolution that ousted leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Tunisia - seen as the birthplace of the Arab Spring that saw political upheaval in several Arab countries - is considered to have the most successful outcome, with relatively low level of violence.

Over five million people are eligible to vote in this election.