TUNIS — The resignation late Friday by Tunisia's Finance Minister Hussein Dimassi over differences with the Islamist-led government has added to concerns about the fate of a political transition in the north African country, which saw the first of the Arab Spring revolts. The official TAP news agency made the announcement without giving reasons for Dimassi's resignation, which occurred less than a month after the president sacked the central bank governor and the administrative reform minister resigned - both over differences with the government. A statement sent by Dimassi's office to Reuters cited differences with the government over financial compensation to be paid to some 20,000 mostly Islamist former political prisoners of the ousted Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali's government. “Differences between (Dimassi) and the government about spending and the sacking of the central bank governor were the main reasons for his resignation,” it said. The government, in a statement read out on state television, accepted Dimassi's resignation and announced the appointment of his deputy Slim Besbes as an interim replacement. The government attributed Dimassi's resignation to differences over “economic policy”, without elaborating. — Reuters
