Military operators face Ben Ali

Violent clashes in Tunisia opposed to the Security Forces loyalists to the ousted Head of State Ben Ali, culminating in the assault on the presidential palace in Carthage, a day of announcing the composition of the new government. Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi, warned that the transitional authorities will not show "zero tolerance" to those who sow chaos in the country.

Shooting first sporadic, then more intense, there were over two hours in the capital, including snipers hiding in buildings, police and military. Two snipers were killed in those clashes, according to an Army official. Hours later, the Army gave the assault on the Tunisian presidential palace, where they were entrenched elements of the presidential guard Ben Ali.

A resident of suburban luxury of Carthage said he heard "shooting" near. He said the Army installed a huge security perimeter around the presidential palace. According to public television, police were at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC), near the presidential palace, called the military to support them, they were under fire.

The situation became more tense in the afternoon. The police were more and more nervous and systematically controlled vehicles. In this framework, four Germans on three taxis were arrested in possession of weapons, along with other foreigners whose nationalities were not specified. The arrest took place in the center of the capital, about 300 meters from the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP legal opposition) to which there was a brief firefight.

Likewise, the former security chief of Tunisian President deposed Seriati General Ali, was arrested when the prime minister began meetings with political parties to try to form a transitional government. Seriati was arrested in southern Tunisia, where he tried to flee to Libya. Tunisian mobilization has ended the dictatorship of Ben Ali began to be echoed in other Arab countries, where they begin to sprout attempts at protests.

The most dramatic has occurred in Algeria, where a 37 year old man was burned in the region of Tebessa, near the Tunisian border to protest the lack of employment. Mohcine Buterfif was hospitalized in serious condition. Similar action was precisely the one that triggered the protests in Tunisia last week.

Country / AFPEl policy is so closely tied to the Tunisian president escaped called him "Monsieur. Oui Oui (Yes Yes Lord.) because they always said yes to Ben Ali. It is however considered as a highly competent technocrat. Following the hasty departure of the Tunisian leader, became president Ghanuchi office on January 14, leaving the door open for the return of Ben Ali.

But the Constitutional Council said it was the Speaker of Parliament, Mebaza Feud, not the prime minister, who should occupy the post of acting president if the elected out of office. Ghanuchi (August 18, 1941) studied economics and spent time as part of their training in the French Ministry of Finance.

Now turn to the post of prime minister. Tunisia's new interim president, sworn in after Ben Ali come out of power, under Article 57 of the Constitution. After being sworn in Parliament, where he has been president since 1997, began the transition to democracy and said that no citizen shall be excluded Tunisian political process that opens.

Within 60 days must be held general elections and has announced it will form a coalition government. Mebaza, 77 (June 16, 1933), has a degree in Law and Economics. He began his career as a deputy in the office of Secretary of Health. He has been Minister of Youth and Sports, Public Health, Culture and Information and Ambassador to the United Nations and Morocco.

President of the Upper House of Parliament since its inception in 2005. According to French newspaper "Le Monde", has spent years in the spotlight of human rights organizations, who accuse him of torturing opponents when he was interior minister in the nineties. Kallel appeared on January 14 Ghanuchi escorting alongside Mebaza, to the Tunisian television when the first announced to the country that took over power temporarily, and that Ben Ali had left the country.

Kallel (December 7, 1943), was also defense minister, treasurer and member of the party's central committee of Ben Ali, Constitutional Democratic Gathering. Deployed in the capital to control rioting and looting, but refused to participate in the repression has been borne by the police and gendarmerie, and his paper, little is known so far, will be key to the vacuum power.

Tunisian armed forces are small compared with its North African neighbors and have not participated in any war. It is appreciated by the people, because they do not interfere in political affairs. Leader of the opposition party Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties. He ran for the 2009 presidential elections, in which Zine el Abidine Ben Ali won with 89% of the vote.

Accepted the proposal of the new president of Tunisia, Mebaza Feud, to form a coalition government. Days before the departure of Ben Ali, the leader of the opposition of 70 years, said that even if the president was overthrown "the people are out of play and also political actors." Ben Jaafar said that "the General Union of Tunisian Workers is the only institution in this context of repression, has had a space of freedom for the prestige it has historically." Congressman and former presidential candidate of Democratic Progressive Party, one of the few legal courses of Tunisia during the regime of Ben Ali, who publicly condemned the police repression during the riots of recent weeks.

Chebbi, 64, after passing 23 in front of their training ceded power to Jeridi Maya, the first woman leader of a political party in Tunisia. Leftist politician has claimed repeatedly opening and Tunisian political democracy, or risk becoming a "land locked". Political activist and founder of Renaissance Party.

After studying philosophy at Damascus and at the Sorbonne in Paris, he returned to Tunisia and joined various Islamic movements, which earned him five years in prison between 1981 and 1984 and from 1987 to 1988. In 1993 the UK gave him political asylum, where he has written several books and struggle for justice in their country in the distance.

A year before getting asylum in August 1992 he was sentenced, by default, like other opposition leaders to life imprisonment for plotting against the president. Was denied entry into countries like the United States, Egypt and Lebanon.

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