Home
Politics
Government detractors say the Ennahda-led cabinet has failed to rein in radical Islamists who have grown in influence and stand accused of a wave of attacks since the 2011 uprising.
Nine Tunisian soldiers had their throats cut on Monday in the Mount Chaambi area near the border with Algeria where troops have been hunting Al-Qaeda-linked fighters, medical and military sources told AFP.
After an ambush the bodies were found stripped of their uniforms and their weapons were also taken, the sources said.
Earlier, Wataniya 1 state television gave a toll of eight soldiers killed.
Larayedh made the election announcement after a cabinet meeting and a security meeting chaired by President Moncef Marzouki.
"We think that the National Constituent Assembly will complete the electoral code by October 23 at the latest so elections can be held on December 17," he said.
Larayedh estimated that 80 percent of the work in adopting a new constitution had already been completed.
December 17 is a significant date: it was on that day in 2010 that fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi burned himself alive in the town of Sidi Bouzid, beginning the Tunisian revolution.
"The government is not incapable of calling for popular support to discover whether the people are with this government or with those who want to take it backwards towards the unknown," Larayedh said.
Larayedh added that the "government remains open to dialogue to improve its efficiency," describing it as the "only way to find solutions to the present problems".
He urged "all Tunisians, parties, associations to avoid letting themselves be drawn in by calls to the unknown, chaos and violence".
He spoke after protests mounted demanding the government's ouster and police clashed with stone-throwing demonstrators in Sidi Bouzid.
Tensions have frayed across Tunisia.
None more so than in Sidi Bouzid, cradle of the uprising that toppled strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and home town of an anti-Islamist MP who was assassinated on Thursday.
Mohamed Brahmi was the second opposition politician killed after Chokri Belaid was gunned down outside his home in February.
Many Tunisians blame the government for both killings.
On Monday morning, anti-government protests erupted in both Tunis and Sidi Bouzid, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of the government and parliament dissolved.
In both cities, police used tear gas against protesters, AFP correspondents reported.
In the centre-west city of Sidi Bouzid, they fired tear gas to disperse stone-throwers as hundreds of protesters blocked employees from going to work at the governor's office.
"Ghannouchi, assassin!" the crowd chanted of Ennahda party leader Rashid Ghannouchi.
Demonstrators demanded the dismissal of the governor, who is regarded as close to the Islamists.
In Tunis, police fired tear gas to disperse a rally outside the National Constituent Assembly for a fourth day running.
Overnight around 10,000 people demonstrated for and against the government on Bardo Square outside parliament, separated by police vans and metal barricades.
Protests have swelled at night in Tunis, where streets are empty during the day because of searing temperatures and the dawn-to-dusk fast of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Protesters chanted: "The people want the fall of the assassins," while across the barricades government supporters retorted: "The people are Muslim and will not capitulate".
"Those who boycott the NCA betray Tunisia," Ennahda MP Fathi Ayadi told AFP.
NCA speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar has called for "restraint" and urged deputies to return and resume work on the much-delayed constitution, one of the thorniest issues in post-revolution Tunisia.
Dozens of MPs have been boycotting parliament since Brahmi's murder.
Authorities have accused radical Salafists close to Al-Qaeda-linked group Ansar al-Sharia of killing Brahmi, whose body was riddled with 14 bullets outside his home.
They say the same gun was used to assassinate Belaid in February.
Ansar al-Sharia denied any responsibility.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners thronged Tunis on Saturday for an emotionally charged funeral procession to El-Jellaz cemetery, where Brahmi was buried next to Belaid.
Anti-government protesters then gathered outside the NCA and clashed with police, who again fired tear gas.
Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou has since pledged to guarantee the safety of anti-government demonstrators, leftist MP Samir Taieb said after meeting the minister.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nine Tunisian soldiers had their throats cut on Monday in the Mount Chaambi area near the border with Algeria where troops have been hunting Al-Qaeda-linked fighters, medical and military sources told AFP.
After an ambush the bodies were found stripped of their uniforms and their weapons were also taken, the sources said.
Earlier, Wataniya 1 state television gave a toll of eight soldiers killed.
Larayedh made the election announcement after a cabinet meeting and a security meeting chaired by President Moncef Marzouki.
"We think that the National Constituent Assembly will complete the electoral code by October 23 at the latest so elections can be held on December 17," he said.
Larayedh estimated that 80 percent of the work in adopting a new constitution had already been completed.
December 17 is a significant date: it was on that day in 2010 that fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi burned himself alive in the town of Sidi Bouzid, beginning the Tunisian revolution.
"The government is not incapable of calling for popular support to discover whether the people are with this government or with those who want to take it backwards towards the unknown," Larayedh said.
Larayedh added that the "government remains open to dialogue to improve its efficiency," describing it as the "only way to find solutions to the present problems".
He urged "all Tunisians, parties, associations to avoid letting themselves be drawn in by calls to the unknown, chaos and violence".
He spoke after protests mounted demanding the government's ouster and police clashed with stone-throwing demonstrators in Sidi Bouzid.
Tensions have frayed across Tunisia.
None more so than in Sidi Bouzid, cradle of the uprising that toppled strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and home town of an anti-Islamist MP who was assassinated on Thursday.
Mohamed Brahmi was the second opposition politician killed after Chokri Belaid was gunned down outside his home in February.
Many Tunisians blame the government for both killings.
On Monday morning, anti-government protests erupted in both Tunis and Sidi Bouzid, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of the government and parliament dissolved.
In both cities, police used tear gas against protesters, AFP correspondents reported.
In the centre-west city of Sidi Bouzid, they fired tear gas to disperse stone-throwers as hundreds of protesters blocked employees from going to work at the governor's office.
"Ghannouchi, assassin!" the crowd chanted of Ennahda party leader Rashid Ghannouchi.
Demonstrators demanded the dismissal of the governor, who is regarded as close to the Islamists.
In Tunis, police fired tear gas to disperse a rally outside the National Constituent Assembly for a fourth day running.
Overnight around 10,000 people demonstrated for and against the government on Bardo Square outside parliament, separated by police vans and metal barricades.
Protests have swelled at night in Tunis, where streets are empty during the day because of searing temperatures and the dawn-to-dusk fast of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Protesters chanted: "The people want the fall of the assassins," while across the barricades government supporters retorted: "The people are Muslim and will not capitulate".
"Those who boycott the NCA betray Tunisia," Ennahda MP Fathi Ayadi told AFP.
NCA speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar has called for "restraint" and urged deputies to return and resume work on the much-delayed constitution, one of the thorniest issues in post-revolution Tunisia.
Dozens of MPs have been boycotting parliament since Brahmi's murder.
Authorities have accused radical Salafists close to Al-Qaeda-linked group Ansar al-Sharia of killing Brahmi, whose body was riddled with 14 bullets outside his home.
They say the same gun was used to assassinate Belaid in February.
Ansar al-Sharia denied any responsibility.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners thronged Tunis on Saturday for an emotionally charged funeral procession to El-Jellaz cemetery, where Brahmi was buried next to Belaid.
Anti-government protesters then gathered outside the NCA and clashed with police, who again fired tear gas.
Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou has since pledged to guarantee the safety of anti-government demonstrators, leftist MP Samir Taieb said after meeting the minister.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
