Tunisia President Hands Power to Prime Minister Before Leaving Country
Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali handed power to Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi and left for Malta after his country was placed under a state of emergency following demonstrations aimed at forcing him to quit.
Ghannouchi announced the change on state television and said he was assuming presidential duties. He said Ben Ali was traveling under Libyan protection.
Almost a month of protests culminated today in clashes in the capital, Tunis, where thousands of demonstrators gathered and some tried to storm the Interior Ministry.
The army is taking control of security nationwide from the police, state television said. Public gatherings of more than three people are banned and security forces are authorized to shoot anyone who violates the order.
Protests over unemployment, forecast at 13.2 percent this year, began in central Tunisia and escalated into a nationwide condemnation of government repression and corruption.
To contact the reporters on this story: Jihen Laghmari in Tunis at jlaghmari@bloomberg.net; Mahmoud Kassem in Cairo at mkassem1@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Ben Holland at bholland1@bloomberg.net.
Tunisia President to Stand Down in 2014
Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images
A man holds a poster showing a photo of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and reading "Down with the dictature in Tunisia".
A man holds a poster showing a photo of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and reading "Down with the dictature in Tunisia". Photographer: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images
Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images
Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali promised to slash food prices, ease repressive rules and stand down in 2014 as he seeks to quell riots which have left at least 23 people dead.
Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali promised to slash food prices, ease repressive rules and stand down in 2014 as he seeks to quell riots which have left at least 23 people dead. Photographer: Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images
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