Tunisia PM and President ‘quit party’ as protests rage on

The reports emerged just an hour after four former Opposition Ministers quit their posts in the new interim Government.

Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi included Opposition leaders in the coalition he set up yesterday after former President Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia following weeks of street protests.

However, several figures from the old regime remained in key positions.

Seemingly in a move to placate Opposition politicans and union leaders, who threatened to bring down the interim government, the Prime Minister and President resigned from the ruling Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) party, but remain in their posts.

“In a bid to split the state from the party, President Fouad Mebazza and Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi resigned their duties in the Democratic Constitutional Rally,” state television reported.

Uprising continues

Earlier, scenes of uprising continued in Tunis today as police repeatedly used teargas to break up protests branding the new government a “sham”.

Channel 4 News’ Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Jonathan Rugman, who is in Tunisia, said: “The demonstrators were confronting a harsh reality, that many of the old guard are still in charge and will be until elections in six months’ time. That’s a reality many cannot accept.

“We watched a group of trades unionists march on the headquarters of an opposition party which had accepted a ministerial post.

“Faced with such pressure from the street, four Ministers resigned during the course of the day after less than 24 hours in office.

“These are the growing pains of a revolution which is still newborn – and which many fear will be stolen from them in favour of the status quo.”

According to reports, the junior Minister for Transport and Equipment Anouar Ben Gueddour, Labour Minister Houssine Dimassi, a Minister without Portfolio – Abdeljelil Bedoui – and Health Minister Mustapha Ben Jaafar have all resigned. Meanwhile the Culture Minister is considering his options.

The opposition Ettajdid party said it would withdraw from of the Government if Ministers from Ben Ali’s RCD did not give up party membership and return to the state all properties they obtained through the Democratic Constitutional Rally, state television said.

Leader Ahmed Ibrahim was named Minister of Higher Education in the interim Cabinet.

It is unclear whether the Ministers will now resume their posts following the resignations of the Prime Minister and President from their party.

PM defends Coalition

Earlier today, Prime Minister Ghannouchi defended the decision to maintain the roles of the RCD ministers, saying they had been kept on because they were needed in the run-up to elections.

“We have tried to put together a mix that takes into account the different forces in the country to create the conditions to be able to start reforms,” Ghannouchi said.

His Foreign Minister, Kamel Morjane, said during a visit to Egypt that the interim Government would respond to issues that had angered protesters, such as corruption, and would be preparing for new elections.

“It may be possible that the next Government will not have any member of the former Government,” he said.

Exile returns

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Moncef Marzouki landed at Tunis airport, having flown in from Paris today and was met by 200 supporters.

He greeted them with the words: “The revolution must continue.”

Marzouki went into exile in 2008 after being followed continuously by Ben Ali’s intelligence services.

He said the first thing he intended to do was to visit the grave of Mohamed Bouazizi, the young unemployed man who set himself on fire in protest at his treatment by the authorities – the action which initially triggered the anti-government protests.

Today, the Government said at least 78 people were killed in the unrest, and the cost in damage and lost business was £1.25 billion.