Anti-gov't protesters rally in Tunisian capital

[January 19, 2011]  TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- Hundreds of protesters marched down a main boulevard of Tunisia's capital on Wednesday, demanding that allies of the ousted president stop clinging to power.

The new interim government, already hobbled by defections, was expected to hold its first Cabinet meeting Wednesday afternoon.

A popular uprising ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on Friday after 23 years in power, and the caretaker government run by his longtime prime minister is now struggling to calm tensions. The fragile state of the government highlights Tunisians' questions about who is in control of this North Africa nation on the Mediterranean Sea, popular among European tourists and seen as an ally in the West's fight against terrorism.

The government reduced the hours of an overnight curfew put in place last week "in the wake of an improvement in the security situation in the country," the official news agency TAP reported. The hours will now be 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. previously.

At the latest protest in Tunis on Wednesday, demonstrators sang nationalist songs and held up signs with "RCD Out!" -- referring to the former ruling party -- as they walked down Avenue Bourguiba in central Tunis, as white-and-blue police vans lined the route.

"We want the old government out -- and we want them away from anything that has to do with the government," said Hafed al Maki, 50, who works at the country's largest insurance company. He said he and colleagues staged a strike and overthrew their manager Tuesday.

He said he would not wait for the 60-day time limit for new presidential elections "because that is enough time for the old cronies to set their roots in and start their old ways again, thieving and taking our resources. No way that's happening again."

An official close to the prime minister said new interim government was "nearly certain" to hold its first meeting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on such matters.

The interim government under Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi was already hobbled: on Tuesday, four ministers resigned within 24 hours after being appointed to the unprecedented multiparty Cabinet.

An airport official said the Tunisian foreign minister, Kamal Merjan, left the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheik on Wednesday before the start of an Arab League summit, without giving any reason.

The unrest has also rattled Tunisia's economy, which has seen impressive growth in recent years. Moody's Investor Service downgraded Tunisia's government bond ratings Wednesday, citing "significant uncertainties" surrounding Tunisia's economic and political future.

Moody's cut the rating by one notch, to "Baa3" from "Baa2," and also downgraded its outlook to negative from stable. The new rating is one notch above "junk bond" status.

Labor unions, students and members of the Ennahdha Islamist party -- which Ben Ali banned in 1992 and cracked down upon for years -- have been among those protesting since his ouster.

A new unity government announced Monday was mostly made up of old guard politicians. A day later, at least four opposition ministers quit, aligning themselves with demonstrators who insist democratic change is impossible with former Ben Ali supporters still in power.

Ghannouchi and interim president Fouad Mebazaa, the former speaker of the lower house of parliament, quit the ruling RCD party Tuesday in an attempt to distance themselves from Ben Ali. The party itself kicked out Ben Ali, its founder, national TV reported.

The protests began in December, after an educated but unemployed 26-year-old man set himself on fire when police confiscated the fruit and vegetables he was selling without a permit. The move hit a nerve among frustrated jobless youths and prompted protests around the nation. Officials say 78 protesters and civilians died in the protests that swept Ben Ali from power -- many killed by police bullets.

Ben Ali was often criticized for a heavy-handed repression against his opponents, curbing civil liberties and running a police state -- though he was praised for developing tourism and allying with the U.S. against terrorism. His relatives -- especially his wife's family -- were seen as corrupt and dominated many businesses in the nation.

Bowing to protesters' demands in recent days, Ghannouchi has pledged to free political prisoners, lift restrictions on the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights and create state panels to investigate bribery and abuses during the upheaval.

[Associated Press; By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI]

Bouazza Ben Bouazza in Tunis, Maggie Michael in Cairo, and Greg Keller in Paris contributed to this report.

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