Wednesday, January 19, 2011 | Subscribe to Foreign Policy |
Protests continue as Tunisia's new government meets
Top story: Tunisians took to the streets again for a day of mostly peaceful protests against the country's new unity government, which held its first cabinet meeting today. Four ministers have already resigned from the cabinet to protest the continued presence of members of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's party. In an effort to defuse the situation, Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi and caretaker President Fouad Mebazza have both resigned from the party.
The fragile government faces pressure from both the protesters on the streets, who are demanding a clean sweep of Ben Ali loyalists, and the country's security forces, who are still seen as supporting the former president.
The military has mostly played an apolitical calming role in the crisis so far and is supported by many of the demonstrators. Nonetheless, there are fears that another government collapse could lead to a military takeover. The future role of Tunisia's currently banned Islamist Party is another major question mark.
