Tunisia pres. sets date for elections

Fri Mar 4, 2011

Tunisia's interim president has announced the date for holding elections for a council of representatives tasked with writing a new constitution.

Fouad Mebazaa said that he and the caretaker government will stay in power until the elections are held, which are set for July 24, Reuters reported.

Once elected, the legislative council can either appoint a new government or ask the incumbent one to stay in power until general elections are held.

Setting up of a constitutional council is a concession to one of the demands of the revolution in the country.

The Muslim Ennhada group was recently legalized by the interim government. The move paves the way for the group to form a political party and to stand in the elections.

Earlier this week, massive protests forced Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi and two of his ministers to resign.

The new interim Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi will now be tasked with appointing new ministers to replace those who resigned earlier this week.

The former ministers stepped down after pressure from protesters demanding that all ministers serving under the ousted former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali resign.

Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14 in the chaos following a popular uprising that has demanded regime change. His ouster consequently ended the dictator's 23 years in power.

Thousands of demonstrators have kept up their daily rallies in the streets.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168089.html.