Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi said the new government would work “towards democracy”
Tunisia’s PM defends new regime
Tunisia’s new unity government is beginning work amid lingering tensions on the streets following the overthrow of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.
PM Mohammed Ghannouchi is among several old faces remaining in the new government, sparking fears that the protests could continue.
But the BBC’s Wyre Davies says pledges to allow political and media freedoms have placated many protesters.
The government now admits that 78 people died in the recent violence.
Riot police remain on the streets of the capital Tunis, our correspondent reports.
He says the task now will be to move quickly to begin the constitutional reforms and preparation for free and fair elections which Tunisians have been promised.
He says another urgent challenge is to begin to return economic stability to the country – the crisis is estimated to have cost it some $2bn (£1.3bn).
Unveiling his new administration on Monday, Mr Ghannouchi said the foreign, interior and defence ministers would retain their jobs, along with himself.
But he named three prominent opposition figures to key posts in the government.
TUNISIAN CABINETMohammed Ghannouchi stays on as prime minister. A Ben Ali ally, he has been in the job since 1999, keeping post throughout unrestInterior Minister Ahmed Friaa, appointed by Mr Ben Ali to mollify demonstrators, retains postForeign Minister Kamal Morjane retains postNajib Chebbi, founder of opposition Progressive Democratic Party, named as development ministerAhmed Ibrahim, leader of opposition Ettajdid party, named minister of higher educationMustafa ben Jaafar, leader of opposition Union of Freedom and Labour, named health ministerSlim Amamou, prominent blogger who was arrested during protests, tweets that he is secretary of state for youth and sportIn pictures: Tunisia’s lingering unrest ‘1,000 Britons’ remain in Tunisia Tunisian bank denies gold taken
Ahmed Ibrahim, leader of the opposition Ettajdid party, becomes minister of higher education, while Mustafa Ben Jaafar, of the Union of Freedom and Labour, is to serve as health minister.
Najib Chebbie, founder of the Progressive Democratic Party, was named as Tunisia’s new development minister.
Mr Ghannouchi said all political parties would now be allowed to operate in Tunisia.
Political prisoners would be freed and the media would be permitted “total freedom”, he added.
“We have decided to free all the people imprisoned for their ideas, their beliefs or for having expressed dissenting opinions,” the AFP news agency reported him as saying.
The announcement of the new government included a pledge to abolish Tunisia’s information ministry and to create a state where the media had “total freedom”.
But correspondents say it remains to be seen whether the inclusion of several veteran ministers in senior positions will be acceptable to those protesting on the streets.
Unrest in Tunisia grew over several weeks, with widespread protests over high unemployment and high food prices pitching demonstrators against Tunisia’s police and military.
After dozens of deaths, President Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday.
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