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TUNIS, Aug 06, 2013 (AFP)
Tunisia’s Islamist ruling party chief has said the government will not step down under pressure from the opposition, even as fresh protests to demand its ouster were being readied Tuesday.
Rached Ghannouchi’s remarks, published by La Presse newspaper, will likely deepen a crisis that has gripped the North African nation since a political assassination in February was followed by another in last month.
A mixed bag of opposition parties, running from the extreme left to the center-right, is planning a massive night-time protest in Tunis on Tuesday to mark six months since opposition politician Chokri Belaid was gunned down outside his home.
Government detractors say the Ennahda-led cabinet has failed to rein in radical Islamists blamed for Belaid’s murder and the assassination of MP Mohamed Brahimi on July 25.
They are also calling for the dissolution of the National Constituent Assembly, which was due to gather from 0800 GMT Tuesday to discuss the crisis.
“There are excessive demands at protests for the dissolution of the elected government… In democratic regimes, protests don’t change governments,” Ghannouchi told La Presse.
“Unfortunately every time a tragedy hits us, we immediately call for the dissolution of the government and parliament,” Ghannouchi added.
The Ennahda leader also dismissed critics who say authorities are being too soft on radical Islamists, who have grown in influence since the 2011 popular uprising that toppled strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
“There are 500 to 600 terrorist suspects imprisoned in jails,” Ghannouchi said, without giving further details.
Tunisia has been rocked by anti-government protests since Brahmi’s murder, and protesters have clashed with police who used tear gas to disperse them.
Authorities said Brahmi was murdered with the same gun used to kill Belaid.
On Sunday Prime Minister Ali Larayedh announced the first arrest of a suspect in the Belaid case.
Larayedh has also ruled out the government’s resignation, offering instead to broaden the coalition and calling for a general election in December.
In an interview published by Belgian daily Le Soir on Monday, Ghannouchi also called for a referendum to give voters the chance to have their say in the standoff between the cabinet and protesters.
“Tunisians would pronounce on whether they support or oppose the process under way,” he said.
As the political crisis festers, security forces are pressing their hunt for militants linked to al-Qaida holed up in the rugged Mount Chaambi region near the Algerian border.
Two soldiers killed when their armored vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb on Sunday were buried after a memorial ceremony attended by both Larayedh and President Moncef Marzouki.
The military has been hunting the militants since December, and stepped up its offensive after eight soldiers were killed in an ambush on July 29
