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Tunisia President Marzouki's CPR 'to withdraw ministers' Tunisia President Marzouki's CPR 'to withdraw ministers'
(about 3 hours later)
The secular party of Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki says it will withdraw its ministers from the Islamist-led government, amid Tunisia's worst crisis since it set off the 2011 Arab Spring. The secular party of Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki says its ministers will leave the Islamist-led government.
A CPR party leader said key demands it made had not been met and that the pullout would be confirmed on Monday. A CPR party leader said its demands that two Islamist ministers should be replaced had not been met, and that the pullout would be confirmed on Monday.
The move comes amid a crisis sparked by the killing of an opposition leader. The move comes amid a crisis sparked by the killing last week of an opposition leader, which triggered mass protests.
The PM wants to form a government of technocrats to ease tensions, but his Islamist Ennahda party is opposed. Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali said he wanted to form a government of technocrats, to ease tensions.
A spokesman for President Marzouki's Congress for the Republic ( CPR) told Reuters news agency that it would withdraw its three ministers from the Ennahda-led government because its demands over key portfolios had been ignored. However, his own Islamist Ennahda party, which dominates the cabinet, has opposed the plan.
"We have been saying for a week that if the foreign and justice ministers were not changed, we would withdraw," party official Samir Ben Amor told the agency. The centre-left Congress for the Republic (CPR) has called for the replacement of the foreign and justice ministers, who it claims are underperforming.
Another leader of the centre-left CPR, Chokri Yacoub, told the state-run TAP news agency that the withdrawal would be confirmed during a news conference on Monday. On Sunday party official Samir Ben Amor told Reuters news agency that it would withdraw its three ministers because its demands had been ignored.
Correspondents say the planned withdrawal is seen as a further blow to the government, already shaken by the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid on Wednesday. Another CPR leader, Chokri Yacoub, told the state-run TAP news agency that the withdrawal would be confirmed during a news conference on Monday.
After Ennahda, the CPR is is the second-largest party in Tunisia's constituent assembly, with 29 of the 214 seats.
The BBC's Wyre Davies, in Tunis, says the planned resignations deepen the political crisis in the country brought on by the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid on Wednesday.
Many blame his Ennahda party for the killing, an allegation the party has denied.Many blame his Ennahda party for the killing, an allegation the party has denied.
Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali has threatened to resign if his efforts to set up a technocratic government by the middle of the week fail. The opposition has called for the government to stand down and four groups - including Mr Belaid's Popular Front - have pulled out of the constituent assembly.
Secular protesters have held mass rallies in recent days. On Friday Mr Belaid's funeral brought as many as a million mourners onto the streets of Tunis.
Mr Jebali has threatened to resign if his efforts to set up a technocratic government by the middle of the week fail.
But other Ennahda leaders oppose his plan, insisting the coalition government should stay.But other Ennahda leaders oppose his plan, insisting the coalition government should stay.
Sources within the Congress for the Republic (CPR) also said they believed that a technocratic government was not the solution to the crisis.
Instead, party leaders are reported to support the creation of a national unity government, led by Mr Jebali and supported by technocrats.