Tunisia's interim government suspends former ruling party

07 February 2011

The party of former president could be dissolved entirely

Tunisia’s interim government has suspended all meetings of the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD), the party of former president Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali.

The interim government has also ordered all RCD party offices or meeting places to be closed down ahead of a decision to dissolve the party entirely, says an Interior Ministry statement.

The statement comes after Tunisian police opened fire on protesters killing two people in the north-western town of Kef. Protesters later set fire to the police station in response and tried to march on the town prison before troops intervened.

In the central town of Kebili, another person was killed in clashes after being hit by a teargas canister.

An inquiry has already been opened against Ben Ali, who fled Tunisia on 14 January following weeks of protests against his corrupt regime (MEED 20:1:11).

Tunisia is currently being run by an interim unity government under prime minister Mohammed Ghannouchi before elections are held in six to seven months time. It was the tensions in Tunisia that have caused uprisings across the Arab world, sparking protests in Algeria, Jordan, Syria, Yemen and Egypt.

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