Tunisia Islamist govt in crisis talks amid protests
Tunisia's Islamist-led government gathered for emergency talks on Monday as protesters demanding its ouster dug in outside parliament and police used tear gas to disperse stone-throwing demonstrators in Sidi Bouzid.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-Islamis...
Tensions have frayed across Tunisia, particularly in Sidi Bouzid, cradle of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled veteran strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and home town of an anti-Islamist MP who was assassinated on Thursday.
Mohamed Brahmi was the second opposition politician killed after Chokri Belaid was gunned down outside his home in February and many Tunisian blame the government for both killings.
Government detractors say the Ennahda-led cabinet has failed to rein in radical Islamists who have grown in influence and stand accused of a wave of attacks since the 2011 uprising.
Mohamed Brahmi was the second opposition politician killed after Chokri Belaid was gunned down outside his home in February and many Tunisian blame the government for both killings.
Government detractors say the Ennahda-led cabinet has failed to rein in radical Islamists who have grown in influence and stand accused of a wave of attacks since the 2011 uprising.
The government talks had been due to start at 0800 GMT but ministers were late arriving and the meeting had yet to get under way at 1100 GMT, an AFP correspondent reported.
A meeting of the 500,000-member strong General Union of Tunisian Labour (UGTT) that was due to convene in the afternoon "to decide the fate" of the country, was also delayed, its secretary general Sami Tahri said.
"The UGTT will carry out its historic role to defend the right of Tunisians to protest peacefully... and assume its responsibilities vis-a-vis the crisis," Tahri said, adding that the meeting would start in the evening.
Ahead of the two meetings, anti-government protests erupted in both Tunis and Sidi Bouzid, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of the government and the dissolution of parliament.
In both cities, police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, AFP correspondents reported.
A meeting of the 500,000-member strong General Union of Tunisian Labour (UGTT) that was due to convene in the afternoon "to decide the fate" of the country, was also delayed, its secretary general Sami Tahri said.
"The UGTT will carry out its historic role to defend the right of Tunisians to protest peacefully... and assume its responsibilities vis-a-vis the crisis," Tahri said, adding that the meeting would start in the evening.
Ahead of the two meetings, anti-government protests erupted in both Tunis and Sidi Bouzid, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of the government and the dissolution of parliament.
In both cities, police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, AFP correspondents reported.
In the centre-west city of Sidi Bouzid, they fired tear gas to disperse stone-throwers among a crowd of hundreds of protesters who blocked employees from going to work at the governor's office.
"Ghannouchi, assassin!" the crowd chanted in reference to Ennahda party leader Rashid Ghannouchi.
The demonstrators also demanded the dismissal of the governor of Sidi Bouzid, who is regarded as close to the Islamists.
In Tunis, police fired tear gas to disperse a group of diehard protesters who rallied outside the National Constituent Assembly for a fourth day running.
Overnight around 10,000 people demonstrated for and against the government on Bardo Square outside the parliament building, separated by police vans and metal barricades.
Protests have swelled at night in Tunis, where streets are empty during the day because of searing temperatures and the dawn-to-dusk fast observed by the faithful during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Protesters, including opposition MPs and secular politicians, say parliament must be dissolved and a government of national unity formed.
In Tunis, protesters chanted: "The people want the fall of the assassins," while across the barricades government supporters retorted: "The people are Muslim and will not capitulate".
"Those who boycott the NCA betray Tunisia," Ennahda MP Fathi Ayadi told AFP.
"Ghannouchi, assassin!" the crowd chanted in reference to Ennahda party leader Rashid Ghannouchi.
The demonstrators also demanded the dismissal of the governor of Sidi Bouzid, who is regarded as close to the Islamists.
In Tunis, police fired tear gas to disperse a group of diehard protesters who rallied outside the National Constituent Assembly for a fourth day running.
Overnight around 10,000 people demonstrated for and against the government on Bardo Square outside the parliament building, separated by police vans and metal barricades.
Protests have swelled at night in Tunis, where streets are empty during the day because of searing temperatures and the dawn-to-dusk fast observed by the faithful during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Protesters, including opposition MPs and secular politicians, say parliament must be dissolved and a government of national unity formed.
In Tunis, protesters chanted: "The people want the fall of the assassins," while across the barricades government supporters retorted: "The people are Muslim and will not capitulate".
"Those who boycott the NCA betray Tunisia," Ennahda MP Fathi Ayadi told AFP.
NCA speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar has called for "restraint" and urged deputies to return and resume work on a much-delayed constitution, one of the thorniest issues in post-revolution Tunisia.
Dozens of MPs have been boycotting parliament since Brahmi's murder.
Authorities have accused radical Salafists close to Al-Qaeda-linked group Ansar al-Sharia of gunning down Brahmi, whose body was riddled with 14 bullets outside his home.
They say the same gun was used to assassinate Belaid in February.
Ansar al-Sharia denied any responsibility. It said in an online statement that Brahmi's murder was political and "only profits remnants of the former regime and lackeys of the Zionists and Crusaders".
Hundreds of thousands of mourners thronged the streets of Tunis on Saturday for an emotionally charged funeral procession to El-Jellaz cemetery, where Brahmi was buried next to Belaid.
Slogans vowing to "avenge" the two slain oppositionists rose from the sea of mourners.
Anti-government protesters then assembled outside the NCA and clashed with police, who fired tear gas to disperse them. An opposition MP suffered a blow to the head, AFP correspondents reported.
Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou has since pledged to guarantee the safety of anti-government demonstrators, leftist MP Samir Taieb said after meeting the minister.
Taieb, who has been calling on the government to step down and hand over to a national unity administration, said nearly a third of the 217 members of the assembly were boycotting its sessions.
Dozens of MPs have been boycotting parliament since Brahmi's murder.
Authorities have accused radical Salafists close to Al-Qaeda-linked group Ansar al-Sharia of gunning down Brahmi, whose body was riddled with 14 bullets outside his home.
They say the same gun was used to assassinate Belaid in February.
Ansar al-Sharia denied any responsibility. It said in an online statement that Brahmi's murder was political and "only profits remnants of the former regime and lackeys of the Zionists and Crusaders".
Hundreds of thousands of mourners thronged the streets of Tunis on Saturday for an emotionally charged funeral procession to El-Jellaz cemetery, where Brahmi was buried next to Belaid.
Slogans vowing to "avenge" the two slain oppositionists rose from the sea of mourners.
Anti-government protesters then assembled outside the NCA and clashed with police, who fired tear gas to disperse them. An opposition MP suffered a blow to the head, AFP correspondents reported.
Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou has since pledged to guarantee the safety of anti-government demonstrators, leftist MP Samir Taieb said after meeting the minister.
Taieb, who has been calling on the government to step down and hand over to a national unity administration, said nearly a third of the 217 members of the assembly were boycotting its sessions.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-Islamis...