TUNIS – Ali Larayedh, the Islamist interior minister tapped to become Tunisia's next premier, pledged Friday to form a Cabinet representing all Tunisian men and women and upholding gender equality. “We are going to enter the phase of forming a new government that will be for all Tunisian men and women, taking into account the fact that men and women have equal rights and responsibilities,” he said after agreeing to succeed outgoing fellow Islamist Hamadi Jebali. Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki Friday asked Larayedh, a hardliner from the main Islamist Ennahda party, to form a government within two weeks, his spokesman said. Marzouki's spokesman told a news conference Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi had formally nominated Larayedh to succeed outgoing Jebali, who resigned Tuesday. Tunisia plunged into political crisis on Feb. 6 when the assassination of secular opposition politician Chokri Belaid on Feb. 6 ignited the biggest street protests since the overthrow of Ben Ali two years ago. Ennahda's choice for prime minister raised hackles among opposition parties, some of whom accuse Larayedh's Interior Ministry of failing to curb violence, although he is credited for acting firmly against Al-Qaeda-linked militants. “The decision deepens the crisis because Larayedh headed the ministry responsible for the killing of Belaid and violence that has spread throughout the country,” said Zied Lakhdar, a leader in the Popular Front, in which Belaid was secretary-general. The Interior Ministry and Ennahda have denied they had any hand in Belaid's killing, which they have condemned. Mahmoud Baroudi, a leader of the secular Democratic Alliance opposition party, said Larayedh's appointment would aggravate tensions and increase anger in the streets. “He was responsible for leniency with Islamist violence against human rights activists,” he said, blaming Islamists for disrupting opposition meetings and assassinating Belaid. No one has claimed responsibility for Belaid's killing. Ennahda is the biggest party in the National Constituent Assembly with 89 of its 217 seats. Marzouki's secular Congress for the Republic party (CPR), the second largest with 29 seats, has already said it will join a new Ennahda-led coalition. Larayedh, 57, is viewed as part of Ennahda's hardline wing, which rejects any role for parties linked to the Ben Ali era. A maritime engineer, Larayedh spent 15 years in jail under Ben Ali. He became interior minister when Jebali's government was formed in December 2011 after an election in October. Jebali, who remains Ennahda's secretary-general, refused to head the next government after his own party rejected his plan for an apolitical technocrat cabinet to prepare for elections. – Agencies
