Tunisia to form government of technocrats
France will close its schools in Tunis on Friday and Saturday over fears of further bloodshed
Tunis: Tunisia’s Islamists rejected on Thursday a plan by their party chief and prime minister to change the government after unrest over the killing of an opposition leader triggered its worst crisis since a 2011 revolution.
Clashes broke out between hundreds of stone-throwing youths and police firing teargas to disperse them in the southern town of Gafsa, but the streets were calm elsewhere in the North African state which gave birth to the Arab Spring uprisings.
Labour union leaders agreed to stage a general strike on Friday and the family of assassinated secular politician Chokri Belaid said his funeral could be held then too, raising the spectre of further destabilising turmoil.
France, the former colonial power in Tunisia, will close its schools in Tunis on Friday and Saturday over fears of further bloodshed, according to the French embassy.
Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali of Ennahda announced late on Wednesday he would replace the government led by his moderate Islamist party with a non-partisan cabinet until elections could be held, as soon as possible.
“The prime minister did not ask the opinion of his party," said Abdelhamid Jelassi, Ennahda’s vice-president. “We in Ennahda believe Tunisia needs a political government now. We will continue discussions with other parties about forming a coalition government."
But a crowd set fire to the Tunis headquarters of Ennahda, which won the most seats in a free election 16 months ago. Protests also hit Sidi Bouzid, fount of the Jasmine Revolution that ousted dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011.
Parliament to weigh new cabinet
Mehrzia Abidi, vice-president of the interim parliament which has been struggling for months to draft a new post-Ben Ali constitution, said it would discuss Jebali’s proposal for temporary technocratic government on Thursday.
“The situation has changed now ... Consultations with all parties are essential," said Maya Jribi, head of the secular Republican party.
“All the government, including the prime minister, should resign," added Beji Caid Essebsi, a former prime minister who heads the secular Nida Touns.
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