Thousands protest in Tunisia as union rejects government
TUNIS: Thousands of protesters put Tunisia's new government under pressure Tuesday with activists rejecting the leadership just days after the ouster of the Arab state's former strongman.
Tunisia's largest trade union and other groups have refused to recognise a transitional government that contains eight ministers from the discredited regime of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Key Islamist leader Sadok Chourou, who was imprisoned for 20 years under the old regime, led one of the rallies on the main avenue in central Tunis that was broken up by riot police firing volleys of tear gas.
"The new government does not represent the people and has to fall," said Chourou, 63, ex-leader of the banned Ennahdha (Awakening) movement.
Protesters chanted "We can live on bread and water alone but not with the RCD," a reference to the former ruling party, which has held on to key posts in the new government including the foreign, defence and interior ministries.
Police also broke up another rally in Tunis amid growing opposition to the government line-up. All public assemblies are officially banned under the rules of a state of emergency declared shortly before disgraced president Ben Ali resigned and fled on Friday.
Thousands more protested in the cities of Sfax and Sidi Bouzid -- the city where a wave of social protests against the Ben Ali regime started last month after a 26-year-old vendor set himself on fire in a protest against police.
There has been a spate of apparent copycat public suicide attempts in other countries including Algeria, Egypt and Mauritania.
Tunisia's largest trade union, the UGTT meanwhile refused to recognise the new government, remarked its spokesman.
Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi, one of the eight ministers staying on from the previous government, said on Monday that he and the others had helped "preserve the national interest" during days of chaos in the country.
"They kept thei! r posts because we need them at this time," Ghannouchi said on French radio Europe 1. "All of them have clean hands," he said.
Ghannouchi also said that exiled Islamist leader Rached Ghannouchi, who is not a relative of the prime minister, would only be able to return to the North African state from Britain once an amnesty law had been approved.
The popular Islamist was sentenced to life in prison under the old regime for plotting against the state.
As he unveiled the new government and promised parliamentary and presidential elections within six months on Monday, Ghannouchi announced complete media freedom and the release of all political prisoners.
But many Tunisians remained unconvinced by the new leadership.
"This isn't a transitional government, it's the return of the old regime in a different form," said Mustapha Hammami, a trade unionist in a cafe in the historic Medina in the centre of the capital Tunis.
The exiled opposition earlier branded the new government a farce.
Interior Minister Ahmed Friaa on Monday said 78 people had been killed in the protets -- several times higher than the last official death toll -- and said losses to the economy amounted to 1.6 billion euros (2.2 billion dollars).
The losses are equivalent to around four percent of Tunisia's GDP.
Thousands of foreign tourists -- a key source of revenue -- have fled Tunisia in recent days and normal business activity has been disrupted.
The interior ministry in central Tunis remained under heavy guard.
The president fled to Saudi Arabia after 23 years in power and some of his closest allies including former security chief Ali Seriati have been arrested.
On Tuesday, Ghannouchi said that those responsible for repressions during the past month of protests would be put on trial.
"All who were involved in those massacres will answer to justice," he said.
Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague urged the new governmen! t in Tun isia to respect the constitution and human rights and to work "quickly and decisively" as it takes control.
"The elections that are now scheduled in our view should be free and fair elections and that should be clear to the world," Hague said.
Tunisia's largest trade union and other groups have refused to recognise a transitional government that contains eight ministers from the discredited regime of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Key Islamist leader Sadok Chourou, who was imprisoned for 20 years under the old regime, led one of the rallies on the main avenue in central Tunis that was broken up by riot police firing volleys of tear gas.
"The new government does not represent the people and has to fall," said Chourou, 63, ex-leader of the banned Ennahdha (Awakening) movement.
Protesters chanted "We can live on bread and water alone but not with the RCD," a reference to the former ruling party, which has held on to key posts in the new government including the foreign, defence and interior ministries.
Police also broke up another rally in Tunis amid growing opposition to the government line-up. All public assemblies are officially banned under the rules of a state of emergency declared shortly before disgraced president Ben Ali resigned and fled on Friday.
Thousands more protested in the cities of Sfax and Sidi Bouzid -- the city where a wave of social protests against the Ben Ali regime started last month after a 26-year-old vendor set himself on fire in a protest against police.
There has been a spate of apparent copycat public suicide attempts in other countries including Algeria, Egypt and Mauritania.
Tunisia's largest trade union, the UGTT meanwhile refused to recognise the new government, remarked its spokesman.
Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi, one of the eight ministers staying on from the previous government, said on Monday that he and the others had helped "preserve the national interest" during days of chaos in the country.
"They kept thei! r posts because we need them at this time," Ghannouchi said on French radio Europe 1. "All of them have clean hands," he said.
Ghannouchi also said that exiled Islamist leader Rached Ghannouchi, who is not a relative of the prime minister, would only be able to return to the North African state from Britain once an amnesty law had been approved.
The popular Islamist was sentenced to life in prison under the old regime for plotting against the state.
As he unveiled the new government and promised parliamentary and presidential elections within six months on Monday, Ghannouchi announced complete media freedom and the release of all political prisoners.
But many Tunisians remained unconvinced by the new leadership.
"This isn't a transitional government, it's the return of the old regime in a different form," said Mustapha Hammami, a trade unionist in a cafe in the historic Medina in the centre of the capital Tunis.
The exiled opposition earlier branded the new government a farce.
Interior Minister Ahmed Friaa on Monday said 78 people had been killed in the protets -- several times higher than the last official death toll -- and said losses to the economy amounted to 1.6 billion euros (2.2 billion dollars).
The losses are equivalent to around four percent of Tunisia's GDP.
Thousands of foreign tourists -- a key source of revenue -- have fled Tunisia in recent days and normal business activity has been disrupted.
The interior ministry in central Tunis remained under heavy guard.
The president fled to Saudi Arabia after 23 years in power and some of his closest allies including former security chief Ali Seriati have been arrested.
On Tuesday, Ghannouchi said that those responsible for repressions during the past month of protests would be put on trial.
"All who were involved in those massacres will answer to justice," he said.
Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague urged the new governmen! t in Tun isia to respect the constitution and human rights and to work "quickly and decisively" as it takes control.
"The elections that are now scheduled in our view should be free and fair elections and that should be clear to the world," Hague said.
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