Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Ministers quit new Tunisian govt


Troops battle protesters on the the streets as country's new government faces early challenges.

Al-Jazeera

"Tunisia's junior minister for transportation has said that he and two other ministers with ties to a top labour union have resigned from the newly formed government.[A good step!]

Anouar Ben Gueddour said on Tuesday that he has resigned along with Houssine Dimassi, the labour minister, and Abdeljelil Bedoui, a minister without portfolio. They are all members of a general national labour union. Their walkout comes a day after Mohamed Ghannouchi, the Tunisian prime minister, announced a new 'unity government'.

The announcement was met with anger by some Tunisians, who said too many members of ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's party remain in power.

Ghannouchi was one of eight ministers staying on from the previous government of Ben Ali, who resigned and fled on Friday in the Arab world's first such popular revolt.

Ghannouchi said that the ministers remaining, including the defence and interior ministers, had acted "to preserve the national interest."

"They kept their posts because we need them at this time," Ghannouchi said on French radio. "All of them have clean hands."

Widespread protests

Tunisians not happy with the new cabinet gathered on Tuesday to protest in the capital and several major cities.

Tunisia's main trade union, which played a key role in protests against the North African state's ousted president, refused to recognise the new government. The union has decided "not to recognise the new government," Ifa Nasr, union spokesman, said on Tuesday.

The General Union of Tunisian Workers, better known under its French acronym UGTT, took the decision at an extraordinary meeting near Tunis......"

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