Tunisian protesters demand government to step down

Tunisians protest in front of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) in Tunis Tunis -  Azhar Jarboui Thousands of Tunisians from across the country were still protesting in front of the National ?Constituent Assembly (NCA) in the capital Tunis in the early hours of Wednesday morning, demanding the dismissal of the assembly and the resignation of the government. Meanwhile, yesterday’s decision to suspend the National Constituent Assembly has come under criticism from MPs and experts who say it was unilateral and illegitimate. Participants in the so-called million-man ‘government departure’ sit-in held banners demanding to know the identity of the killers of opposition activists Mohamed Brahmi and Chokri Belaid. Tuesday was the six-month anniversary of Belaid’s assassination. The country has been wracked by political unrest since the July 25 murder of opposition lawmaker Brahmi, which followed the assassination of Belaid on February 6.  Tuesday's protests marked the biggest anti-government demonstration since Brahmi’s assassination. Brahmi's murder, as well as that of Belaid, have been blamed on radical Islamists, with the Ennahda-led cabinet criticised for not doing enough to prevent them A police official estimated that 40,000 people crowded the streets of Tunis to call for the Troika coalition government, led by the moderate Islamic movement Ennahda, to step down. Opposition leaders cited in local media put the figure at 100,000-200,000. Among the thousands of protesters at the anti-government in Tunis was ?the widow of assassinated Popular Front leader Chokri Belaid, the ?international Tunisian swimmer Osama al Malouli and opposition politicians who had ?resigned from the National Constituent Assembly.? Earlier on Tuesday, the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) - a body elected in 2011 to forge consensus on drafting a new constitution - was suspended. Assembly speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar said the NCA's work would be halted until the government and opposition opened negotiations to break the deadlock "in the service of Tunisia". "We are facing a difficult situation and a dangerous turning point six months after the first political assassination that could have destabilised the country," Ben Jaafar said referring to the assassination of Chokri Belaid. "I will be faithful to my mission and I will make every effort to protect Tunisia," he added. Brahmi's killing had already prompted several opposition members to boycott the NCA and its suspension was a key demand of the protesters on the street. The speaker invited all political parties, as well as the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), the country’s biggest union, to take part in a comprehensive national dialogue to overcome the crisis. The decision to suspend the NSA has surprised Tunisia, especially after the assembly managed on Tuesday to hold ?its first public session since Brahmi’s assassination on ?July 25.  The session was followed by the resignation of 50 members of the NSA, ?who demanded its suspension and the formation of a national salvation government.? The move has failed to satisfy opposition figures, many of whom consider it irrelevant given that the NCA had, in their view, already lost all legitimacy. Hamma al-Hammami, spokesman for the Popular Front opposition Coalition, called on the Tunisian people to rebel against the “dictatorship” of the ruling Ennahda party as they rebelled against former leader Ben Ali, who was overthrown following popular protests in 2011.? Monji al Rahawi , MP with the Unified Democratic Nationalist party, of which Belaid was leader, said: “The demonstration was organised by the people of Tunisia, demanding that the government leave and pack its belongings, because it has cost Tunisia a lot, in terms of security and financially". He called for forming a national salvation government to overcome the political crisis is that wracking the country, and challenged Prime Minister Ali Al Areed to call a popular ?referendum, insisting that “Tunisians will say no to Brotherhood rule”.? Professor of constitutional law Qais Said told Arab Today that the decision to suspend the assembly didn’t have any ?legal basis, adding that “The head of the National Constituent Assembly is not ?legally authorised to suspend the biggest institution in the Tunisian state”.? Ben Jaafar should have put the matter to a vote by MPs rather than taking a unilateral decision, he said.? Ennahda leader Walid al-Banani said Ben Jaafar’s decision ?is still being discussed by the movement, with its official reaction to ?be announced later.? Observers believe it is not in Ennahda’s interest to abandon Ben Jaafar, who is a strategic ally. Meanwhile, Haitham ?Ben Belqasem head of the Congress for the Republic bloc, the ?party of the Tunisian president and coalition partner of Ennahda, also criticised Ben Jaafar’s decision as unilateral. Belqasem complained that the speaker had made the move without consulting the NSA, adding that he first learnt of the decision from the television.? Observers believe the suspension of the NSA will be a hot topic at meetings of the ruling Troika coalition, amid fears the alliance, which depends on the support of Ben Jaafar’s bloc, may fragment.  Additional reporting: AFP