Tunisian PM delays announcement of new govn't until Monday

Tunisian PM delays announcement of new govn
# 17 February 2013 03:37 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Tunisia's Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali delayed the announcement of the new technocrat government lineup to Monday, APA reports quoting the official TAP press agency.

Jebali has promised to announce the new government on Saturday, but was engaged in last-minute discussions with political parties on the names. He said "results have been encouraging," and concertations will continue until Monday.

"Time is unimportant," Jebali said. "What counts is the country 's interest and the search of a solution," he added.

He also told media that he had requested the representatives in the talks not to divulge details or names to avoid any overbid.

Earlier in the week, Jebali warned that he would resign if the 217-member constituent assembly, which is dominated by his own Ennahdha Islamist party, rejects his government.

Jebali had called for a government of technocrats to prepare for the country's incoming legislative and presidential elections. His initiative, which is opposed by Ennahdha, was welcomed by a number of major opposition parties.

On Saturday, Ennahdha staged a mass rally in central Tunis to protest the forming of a government of technocrats and to call for the legitimacy of the constituent assembly. According to police sources, over 40,000 people took part in the rally.

The North African country has been rocked by instability and a deepening political crisis fueled by the killing of Chokri Belaid, one of the country's main opposition leaders who was gunned down in front of his home last week.

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