Tunisia announces new government

Mohammed Ghannouchi has been Tunisian prime minister since 1999

Tunisia has formed a national unity government, the country’s prime minister has announced, days after a popular revolt ousted the president.

The foreign, interior and defence ministers are to retain their jobs, with several opposition figures joining the government.

The government will be led by incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi, and aims to prepare Tunisia for elections.

He also announced a series of measures to open up political and media freedom.

All political parties will be allowed to operate in Tunisia, political prisoners will be freed and the media will be permitted “total freedom”, Mr Ghannouchi said.

“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”.

Reuters news agency said two opposition figures, named as Ahmed Ibrahim and Mustafa Ben Jaafar, would be in the new government.

There were also reports that a prominent blogger, Sidi Amamou, had been named minister for youth and sport.

“We are committed to intensifying our efforts to re-establish calm and peace in the hearts of all Tunisians. Our priority is security, as well as political and economic reform,” Mr Ghannouchi told a news conference.

Tunis was hit by renewed demonstrations and clashes before the announcement

The announcement came amid growing pressure from demonstrators for Tunisia to make a clean break with the policies of the former president, who was in office for 23 years.

Correspondents say there is some uncertainty over whether the inclusion of several veteran ministers in senior positions will be acceptable to those protesting on the streets.

Widespread protests over high unemployment and high food prices pitched demonstrators against Tunisia’s police and military, eventually toppling Mr Ben Ali’s government.

Monday’s announcement came hours after new street violence flared in Tunis.

Police used water cannon, tear gas and occasional gunshots to disperse several hundred demonstrators calling for the party of ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to relinquish power.

The country has been in a state of emergency since he fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday.

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