Tunisia has promised to overhaul the line-up of its interim government.
|||Tunis - Tunisia has promised to overhaul the line-up of its interim government, a move expected to see some loyalists of ousted leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali step aside in a bid to end persistent protests.
Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14 when weeks of violent protests against poverty, repression and corruption toppled him after 23 years in power.
Since then, an interim government that includes many former ruling party officials has struggled to impose order.
Protesters have been demanding for days that the makeshift coalition government be purged of Ben Ali's allies. They clashed with police again on Wednesday.
Government spokesman Taieb Bakouch was quoted as saying on the Tunisian state news agency on Wednesday: “The reshuffle will be announced on Thursday.”
Political sources said the interior, defence and foreign ministers were to be replaced.
Tunisia's uprising has electrified Arabs across the Middle East and North Africa, where many countries share the complaints of poor living standards and authoritarian rule.
Inspired by Tunisia's example, thousands of Egyptians have taken to the streets to demand an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, clashing with police who fired tear gas and used water cannon.
Tunisia says it is seeking an international arrest warrant to bring Ben Ali, his wife and other family members to justice for theft and currency offences during their rule, when those surrounding the president grew wealthy.
Justice Minister Lazhar Karoui Chebbi said: “We are asking Interpol to find all those who fled, including the president and this woman (his wife), for trial in Tunisia.”
Despite the clashes, the interim government announced it would reduce the curfew, in place since the revolt, by several hours, effective from Wednesday night.
Clashes broke out on Wednesday near government offices in the old city, or casbah. Riot police fired teargas at hundreds of protesters, mainly teenagers and young men, who threw stones.
The protesters appeared to be Tunisians from the rural hinterland who have been camping out at the government compound.
They shouted at the security forces that they were the “police of Leila”, a reference to Ben Ali's unpopular wife, who was seen as having excessive influence and lavish tastes. - Reuters
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/ben-ali-loyalists-expected-to-go-1.1017720
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