[release]TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian President Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali stepped aside on Friday after failing to quell the worst anti-government unrest in his two decades in power.
As the prime minister stepped in until promised elections can be held, Ben Ali's whereabouts were unclear. Al Jazeera television said he had left the country.
The violence and rapid turn of events sent shockwaves across the Arab world, where similar authoritarian rulers are deeply entrenched, but face mounting pressures from swelling young populations, economic hardship and the appeal of militant Islam.
In a television address in Tunis, Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi said he was taking over as president and would remain as caretaker leader until early elections.
"Since the president is temporarily unable to exercise his duties, it has been decided that the prime minister will exercise temporarily the duties," he said.
"I call on the sons and daughters of Tunisia, of all political and intellectual persuasions, to unite to allow our beloved country to overcome this difficult period and to return to stability."
The latest unrest was sparked when police prevented an unemployed graduate from selling fruit without a licence and he set fire to himself, dying shortly afterwards of his burns.
In power since 1987, Ben Ali had earlier on Friday declared a state of emergency and said protesters would be shot in an increasingly violent confrontation. Ben Ali had earlier dismissed the government and called an early parliamentary election.[/release]
source: [url]http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE70D0AQ20110114[/url]
48h, more than a hundred people dead and one less dictator
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