Tunisia: Pressure on Islamists to end crisis

After three days of violence following the killing of opposition leader last week, calm returning to the capital

Several thousand supporters of Tunisia's moderate Islamist party in a pro-government demonstration in Tunis a day after the funeral of an assassinated opposition politician, Feb 9, 2013. (photo credit: AP/Hassene Dridi)
Several thousand supporters of Tunisia's moderate Islamist party in a pro-government demonstration in Tunis a day after the funeral of an assassinated opposition politician, Feb 9, 2013. (photo credit: AP/Hassene Dridi)

TUNIS, Tunisia (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 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.

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