Tunisia Names Unity Government

Zohra Bensemra/Reuters

A demonstrator tried to force his way past riot policemen in Tunis on Monday.

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Published: January 17, 2011

TUNIS — Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announced the makeup of Tunisia’s new unity government on Monday, including at least two top ministers from the cabinet of the ousted president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, as demonstrators in the center of the capital called for a wholesale reshuffling of the country’s leadership after the four weeks of protests that toppled Mr. Ali.

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The interior and foreign ministers would keep their jobs under the agreement negotiated by Mr. Ghannouchi and the interim president, Fouad Mebazaa, both close allies of Mr. Ben Ali’s, in meetings with opposition parties on Sunday. On Monday, The Associated Press reported that the ministers of defense and of finance would also remain.
The opposition was expected to be given lesser positions within the cabinet. Najib Chebbi, the founder of the Progressive Democratic Party, was made minister of regional development, The A.P. reported. The Communist and Islamist parties, which have been outlawed, were excluded from the talks and the unity government. Read More