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PM forms national unity government

Published:Tuesday | January 18, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Protesters cheers a soldier during a demonstration against former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in the center of Tunis, Monday, January 17. Tunisia's interim leaders plan to announce a new government Monday that includes opposition leaders for the first time - a move they hope will stabilise their violence-wracked nation.

 TUNIS, Tunisia (AP):

TUNISIA'S PRIME minister announced a national unity government Monday, allowing opposition into the country's leadership for the first time in a bid to quell civil unrest following the ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali amid huge street protests.

Tunisia's government said more than 78 protesters and other civilians have died in the protests, which have swept the country for a month. Interior Minister Ahmed Friaa said 94 civilians have been injured. And he said members of the security forces also have been killed, but he did not say how many.

Although Ben Ali fled the country on Friday, after 23 years in power, members of his government will play prominent roles in the new unity government. Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, a long-time ally of Ben Ali, and several top ministers have retained their posts.

Ghannouchi, who has been premier since 1999, said the current ministers of defence, interior and foreign affairs would also keep their posts. He announced as well that political prisoners would be freed, as one of an array of measures aimed at loosening up a political system that for decades was effectively under one-party rule.

But a critical question was whether the changes in the government line-up would be enough to stabilise the North African country, which has been reeling from the unrest. Friaa told reporters Monday that 85 police stations had been damaged, along with 13 town halls, 43 banks, 11 factories and 66 stores or shopping centres.

He said the country's economy the Tunisian economy lost 3 billion dinars (US$2 billion) amid the troubles.

A union leader upset at the prospect of a government full of old guard ministers, predicted growing demonstrations to press for an end to power positions for the RCD - Ben Ali's political party.

"It (RCD) left by the back door and is coming back through the window," said Habib Jerjir, member of the executive bureau of the Regional Workers' Union of Tunis. "We can't have militias in the streets and in the government."

Many opponents of Ben Ali's rule had taken to the streets to express their hope the new government would not include remnants of his iron-fisted regime.