TUNIS: Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi faced mounting pressure to quit Saturday after the ouster of veteran ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, as the main trade union mobilizes against him. Thousands rallied in Tunis and other cities in the north African state, while hundreds of protesters backed by the UGTT union began a symbolic march on the capital from the impoverished region where the uprising began last month. Participants at the march called their protest a “Caravan of Liberation”. “The aim of this caravan is to make the government fall,” said Rabia Slimane, 40, a teacher from Menzel Bouzaiane, where the first victim of the uprising was killed by security forces last month. The peaceful anti-government demonstrators in Tunis were joined by hundreds of police officers, some of whom briefly blocked a car carrying interim President Foued Mebazaa, the speaker of parliament. Public assemblies of more than three people are officially banned under a state of emergency that remains in place, along with a night-time curfew.The General Union of Tunisian Workers, which played a vital role in the movement against Ben Ali, has refused to recognize the new government because of its inclusion of figures from the old regime. Mebazaa has promised a “total break” with the old regime. Meanwhile, the banned movement Ennahdha has said it intends to register as an official political party and take part in elections. The government Saturday also lifted restrictions on the import of foreign literature and films, which were tightly controlled by the previous regime. Ghannouchi, who has kept his post despite the revolt, earlier promised to resign from political life after the north African country holds its first free and fair polls. He gave no indication of when the elections could be held. – Agence France
