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Fethi Belaid / AFP - Getty Images
A protester jumps after police fired tear gas during a rally in Tunisia, Wednesday.
Tunisia plunged deeper into crisis Thursday after the prime minister’s attempt to restore order on the streets by dissolving the government was rejected by his own party, according to reports.
Hamdi Jebali announced late Wednesday that an interim cabinet of technocrats would replace the Islamist-led coalition – an attempt to calm angry public protests in the wake of the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid.
But the leader of Jebali’s own party on Thursday rejected that move, Al-Jazeera and Reuters reported, raising the prospect of a power struggle just as authorities were struggling to contain the biggest street protests since the 2011 Arab Spring.
"The prime minister did not ask the opinion of his party," said Abdelhamid Jelassi, vice-president of the Islamist Ennahda party, according to Reuters. "We in Ennahda believe Tunisia needs a political government now. We will continue discussions with others parties about forming a coalition government."
Political analyst Salem Labyed told Reuters the opposition appeared to want to leverage the crisis to its own advantage and that prolonged political uncertainty could kindle more unrest.
"It seems that the opposition wants to secure the maximum possible political gains ..., but the fear is that the country's crisis will deepen if things remain unclear at the political level.
"That could increase the anger of supporters of the secular opposition, which may go back to the streets again," he said.
The fatal shooting of Belaid, who was killed outside his own home early on Wednesday, sparked angry protests.
In the capital Tunis, an estimated 20,000 protesters massed outside the Interior Ministry, while in Sidi Bouzid -- cradle of the Arab Spring revolution -- there were clashes with police.
Reuters
Demonstrators burn documents of the Ennahda party, outside the party's headquarters, Wednesday.
Al Jazeera's Ahmed Janabi in Tunis reported violent clashes between Belaid's supporters and police along the main Habib Borguiba Avenue, with the police using tear gas and batons.
Four opposition groups that are part of Belaid's Popular Front coalition announced that they would withdraw from the county’s national assembly, France24 reported.
Tunisians rose up against long-time leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after vegetable seller Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself in Sidi Bouzid in late 2010.
Tunisia -- the first Arab country to oust its leader and hold free elections -- had made a relatively smooth transition to democracy. However, it has recently been plagued by economic hardship and the threat from al-Qaida-linked militants.
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Tunisia is the closest, that an Arab country comes, to being like Europe. They are the first to experiment with democracy. It's never pretty. Good luck.
Here you have it again. Whenever these Muslim jerks are involved in the government all you get is blood and guts and civil unrest.
Don't these people learn?? No government with Islamists is a good government. Just look around Northern Africa. It speaks for itself.
Great, guess the Middle East and North Africa are getting ready for "ARAB SPRING II".
All Alqueda had to do was kill one politician, let the two moderate parties blame each other, then sit back and watch the mayhem. Next they will send in the radicals and take over.
"However, it has recently been plagued by economic hardship and the threat from al-Qaida-linked militants."
I slightly disagree!
Religion is the opium of masses.
Sunni Islamic extremists like al Qaida, MB, Taliban, Boko Haram and other label ones are high dosage heroin addicts.
In human history, except self-destruction has religious extremism done anything useful?
More extreme means more destructions. Islam is going through this phase in 21st century.
Here also: too much is too bad.
Sad, isn't it? It's all on the people in the streets, now: both the protesters and the police. If they can prevent the protests from becoming violent, they can make their voice heard throughout the governmental turmoil, and it will show a triumph for democracy everywhere. If the streets descend into chaos...well, not so much.
It amazes me all the know it alls about the Middle East but they know noting about their own history. The concept of seperation of church and state was new for western europe until we tried it in the US. Up until that time most of the wars in Europe were due to religion. The US probably only made it because we had these big oceans separating us from Europe. Will the middle east adopt the seperation of church and state, I don't know, Turkey is going backwards not forward. Tunisia, Egypt, guess we will see.
Ah, fashion-challenged Islam! God's other special people LOL.
"Hamdi Jebali announced late Wednesday that an interim cabinet of technocrats would replace the Islamist-led coalition – an attempt to calm angry public protests in the wake of the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid."
The moment Islamists take control, sanity is the first casualty.
Then it will be protests, hatings and killings.
Islamic extremists are beyond repair and are the biggest threats to Islam.
Let's see when/if a new elected cabinet replaces the technocratic cabinet, and if it turns out any better Representative the second time around.
Musical chairs can go on and on with more Islamic hardliners taking over each time!
Islam has reached point of no return from religious madness.
It is becoming painfully evident around the world that any Islamist led government becomes unstable as soon as anyone challenges their doctrine.
I wonder why, backtobasiscs? Even those folks over there do not want o go back to the Stone Age, which is all that Islam is offering.
Tell us where the militants are and we'll send in the drones. Problem solved.
Freedom is never easy. Many who wish to control, will oppose and block it.