Sunday, February 10, 2013

Tunisia: Pressure grows on Islamists to end crisis

Activists of the Islamic Party's Ennahda as they wave is flags during a demonstration in Tunis Saturday Feb 9, 2013. Several thousand supporters of Tunisia's ruling moderate Islamist party rallied in the capital in a pro-government demonstration Saturday, a day after the funeral of an assassinated opposition politician. The ruling Ennahda party had called for a show of support for the constitutional assembly, whose work on a new constitution suffered a severe setback after the killing of Chokri Belaid on Feb. 6, 2013 when leftist parties withdrew their participation. Protesters hurled insults at France, accusing the former colonial ruler of interfering in the North African country's politics. ( AP Photo/Hassene Dridi)

Activists of the Islamic Party's Ennahda as they wave is flags during a demonstration in Tunis Saturday Feb 9, 2013. Several thousand supporters of Tunisia's ruling moderate Islamist party rallied in the capital in a pro-government demonstration Saturday, a day after the funeral of an assassinated opposition politician. The ruling Ennahda party had called for a show of support for the constitutional assembly, whose work on a new constitution suffered a severe setback after the killing of Chokri Belaid on Feb. 6, 2013 when leftist parties withdrew their participation. Protesters hurled insults at France, accusing the former colonial ruler of interfering in the North African country's politics. ( AP Photo/Hassene Dridi)

Protesters gather during a demonstration in Tunis Saturday Feb 9, 2013. Several thousand supporters of Tunisia's ruling moderate Islamist party rallied in the capital in a pro-government demonstration Saturday, a day after the funeral of an assassinated opposition politician. The ruling Ennahda party had called for a show of support for the constitutional assembly, whose work on a new constitution suffered a severe setback after the killing of Chokri Belaid on Feb. 6, 2013 when leftist parties withdrew their participation. Protesters hurled insults at France, accusing the former colonial ruler of interfering in the North African country's politics. ( AP Photo/Hassene Dridi)

(AP) ? Calm is returning to the streets of Tunisia's capital, even as pressure is growing on the governing Islamists to find a solution to the country's biggest crisis since it set off the Arab Spring uprisings two years ago.

The killing of a Tunisian opposition leader last week brought protests against a government accused of pandering to extremists. The prime minister wants to appoint a new government of technocrats to ease tensions.

But his Ennahda party rejects the idea. Ennahda's governing committee is meeting Sunday to discuss it, amid signs of a growing split between party moderates and hard-liners.

After three days of street violence, the streets in the capital Tunis are relatively quiet Sunday, under the watchful eye of riot police.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-10-ML-Tunisia-Crisis/id-416e4e38357a4199813e2d41be3d0a54

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