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| Dominant Tunisian Party Rejects Move to Contain Assassination Fallout | Dominant Tunisian Party Rejects Move to Contain Assassination Fallout |
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| TUNIS — Tunisian officials moved quickly Wednesday to contain the fallout after a leading opposition figure was assassinated outside his home. They announced that they would restructure the Islamist-led government and form a national unity cabinet as thousands took to the streets in protests that security forces beat back with tear gas. | TUNIS — Tunisian officials moved quickly Wednesday to contain the fallout after a leading opposition figure was assassinated outside his home. They announced that they would restructure the Islamist-led government and form a national unity cabinet as thousands took to the streets in protests that security forces beat back with tear gas. |
| But Reuters reported on Thursday that the country’s dominant Ennahda Party had rejected the plan to dissolve the government, as proposed Wednesday by Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali. | |
| “The prime minister did not ask the opinion of his party,” Abdelhamid Jelassi, Ennahda’s vice president was quoted as saying. “We in Ennahda believe Tunisia needs a political government now. We will continue discussions with others parties about forming a coalition government.” | |
| The reported rejection — which was not immediately confirmed — appeared to inject a new element of political uncertainty into an already fraught situation. | The reported rejection — which was not immediately confirmed — appeared to inject a new element of political uncertainty into an already fraught situation. |
| The killing of the politician, Chokri Belaid, one of Tunisia’s best-known human rights defenders and a fierce critic of the ruling Islamist party, placed dangerous new strains on a society struggling to reconcile its identity as a long-vaunted bastion of Arab secularism with its new role as a proving ground for one of the region’s ascendant Islamist parties. | The killing of the politician, Chokri Belaid, one of Tunisia’s best-known human rights defenders and a fierce critic of the ruling Islamist party, placed dangerous new strains on a society struggling to reconcile its identity as a long-vaunted bastion of Arab secularism with its new role as a proving ground for one of the region’s ascendant Islamist parties. |
| The explosion of popular anger, which led to the death of a police officer in the capital, posed a severe challenge to Ennahda, which came to power promising a model government that blended Islamist principles with tolerant pluralism. | The explosion of popular anger, which led to the death of a police officer in the capital, posed a severe challenge to Ennahda, which came to power promising a model government that blended Islamist principles with tolerant pluralism. |
| Mr. Belaid was shot and killed outside his home in an upscale Tunis neighborhood as he was getting into his car on Wednesday morning. The interior minister, citing witnesses, said that two unidentified gunmen had fired on Mr. Belaid, striking him with four bullets. | Mr. Belaid was shot and killed outside his home in an upscale Tunis neighborhood as he was getting into his car on Wednesday morning. The interior minister, citing witnesses, said that two unidentified gunmen had fired on Mr. Belaid, striking him with four bullets. |
| The killing, which analysts said was the first confirmed political assassination here since the overthrow of the autocratic leader, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, was a dark turn for the country that was the birthplace of the Arab uprisings of two years ago. It resonated in countries like Egypt and Libya that are struggling to contain political violence while looking to Tunisia’s turbulent but hopeful transition as a reassuring example. | The killing, which analysts said was the first confirmed political assassination here since the overthrow of the autocratic leader, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, was a dark turn for the country that was the birthplace of the Arab uprisings of two years ago. It resonated in countries like Egypt and Libya that are struggling to contain political violence while looking to Tunisia’s turbulent but hopeful transition as a reassuring example. |
| “Confronting violence, radicalism and the forces of darkness is the main priority for societies if they want freedom and democracy,” Amr Hamzawy, a member of Egypt’s main secular opposition coalition, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “Assassinating Chokri Belaid is warning bell in Tunisia, and in Egypt, too.” | |
| The response by Tunisian officials was being closely watched. President Moncef Marzouki cut short an overseas trip to deal with the crisis. Mr. Jebali, the prime minister, called the killing a “heinous crime against the Tunisian people, against the principles of the revolution and the values of tolerance and acceptance of the other.” | The response by Tunisian officials was being closely watched. President Moncef Marzouki cut short an overseas trip to deal with the crisis. Mr. Jebali, the prime minister, called the killing a “heinous crime against the Tunisian people, against the principles of the revolution and the values of tolerance and acceptance of the other.” |
| Bowing to the outrage, he said cabinet ministers would be replaced with technocrats not tied to any party until elections could be held. | |
| The announcement, which had been expected for months, held out the promise that Tunisia might continue to avoid the political chaos that has plagued its neighbors. Since the uprising, the country has held successful elections, leading to a coalition government merging Ennahda and two center-left parties. An assembly writing the country’s constitution has circumscribed the role of Islamic law, allowing Tunisia to avoid the arguments over basic legal matters that have led to protracted unrest in Egypt. | The announcement, which had been expected for months, held out the promise that Tunisia might continue to avoid the political chaos that has plagued its neighbors. Since the uprising, the country has held successful elections, leading to a coalition government merging Ennahda and two center-left parties. An assembly writing the country’s constitution has circumscribed the role of Islamic law, allowing Tunisia to avoid the arguments over basic legal matters that have led to protracted unrest in Egypt. |
| The struggle over identity here has taken a different form, as hard-line Islamists have pressured Ennahda to take a more conservative path. Secular groups have faulted Ennahda as failing to confront the hard-liners, or for secretly supporting them. The restructuring does not completely loosen Ennahda’s hold on political power. | |
| The killing remained a mystery on Wednesday. The authorities did not announce any arrests, saying only that witnesses said the gunmen had appeared to be no more than 30 years old. Among Mr. Belaid’s colleagues and relatives, suspicions immediately fell on the hard-line Islamists known as Salafists, some of whom have marred the transition with acts of violence, including attacks on liquor stores and Sufi mausoleums. | The killing remained a mystery on Wednesday. The authorities did not announce any arrests, saying only that witnesses said the gunmen had appeared to be no more than 30 years old. Among Mr. Belaid’s colleagues and relatives, suspicions immediately fell on the hard-line Islamists known as Salafists, some of whom have marred the transition with acts of violence, including attacks on liquor stores and Sufi mausoleums. |
| Mr. Belaid, a leading member of Tunisia’s leftist opposition alliance, criticized the governing party for turning a blind eye to criminal acts by the Salafists, and had received a string of death threats for his political stands, his family said. | Mr. Belaid, a leading member of Tunisia’s leftist opposition alliance, criticized the governing party for turning a blind eye to criminal acts by the Salafists, and had received a string of death threats for his political stands, his family said. |
| In a chilling prelude to his death, in a television interview on Tuesday, Mr. Belaid accused Ennahda of giving “an official green light” to political violence. Separately, he accused “Ennahda mercenaries and Salafists” of attacking a meeting of his supporters on Saturday. | In a chilling prelude to his death, in a television interview on Tuesday, Mr. Belaid accused Ennahda of giving “an official green light” to political violence. Separately, he accused “Ennahda mercenaries and Salafists” of attacking a meeting of his supporters on Saturday. |
| His wife, Besma Khalfaoui, blamed Ennahda and told Tunisia’s state news agency that the authorities had ignored her husband’s pleas for protection during four months of death threats. | His wife, Besma Khalfaoui, blamed Ennahda and told Tunisia’s state news agency that the authorities had ignored her husband’s pleas for protection during four months of death threats. |
| In a stunned Tunisia, as news of the killing spread, thousands poured into the streets in the capital and other cities. A crowd gathered in front of the interior ministry, a massive building that is still a hated symbol of Mr. Ben Ali and his security services, to express anger at the new government. “Resignation, resignation, the cabinet of treason,” people shouted. | In a stunned Tunisia, as news of the killing spread, thousands poured into the streets in the capital and other cities. A crowd gathered in front of the interior ministry, a massive building that is still a hated symbol of Mr. Ben Ali and his security services, to express anger at the new government. “Resignation, resignation, the cabinet of treason,” people shouted. |
| Riot police officers fired tear gas into the crowds and plainclothes security officers beat protesters, witnesses said, in scenes that recalled the uprising two years ago. In other cities, protesters attacked Ennahda’s offices. | Riot police officers fired tear gas into the crowds and plainclothes security officers beat protesters, witnesses said, in scenes that recalled the uprising two years ago. In other cities, protesters attacked Ennahda’s offices. |
| The party vigorously denied any role in the killing, but the damage to its reputation seemed difficult to repair. | The party vigorously denied any role in the killing, but the damage to its reputation seemed difficult to repair. |
| Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, said the assassination was a blow to the aspirations of Islamist parties taking the reins in democratic transitions in the region, most notably in Egypt and Tunisia. In Egypt, he said, the Islamists have failed to build consensus and trust, relying instead on a narrow majoritarianism. In Tunisia, he said, they built a coalition with liberals but failed to take a stand against more hard-line Islamists competing for support on their right. | Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, said the assassination was a blow to the aspirations of Islamist parties taking the reins in democratic transitions in the region, most notably in Egypt and Tunisia. In Egypt, he said, the Islamists have failed to build consensus and trust, relying instead on a narrow majoritarianism. In Tunisia, he said, they built a coalition with liberals but failed to take a stand against more hard-line Islamists competing for support on their right. |
| “Facing down extremists — Islamists find that very difficult,” Mr. Shaikh said. | “Facing down extremists — Islamists find that very difficult,” Mr. Shaikh said. |
| In Tunisia, he said, the extremists included not only Salafis but more militant actors closer to Al Qaeda. “They have not been very quiet in terms of their intentions, and yet Ennahda has not taken them on,” he said. | In Tunisia, he said, the extremists included not only Salafis but more militant actors closer to Al Qaeda. “They have not been very quiet in terms of their intentions, and yet Ennahda has not taken them on,” he said. |
| In Tunisia, some hoped that the killing would serve as a warning not just about the dangers of political violence, but also about the authorities’ refusal to confront it. Amna Guellali, a Human Rights Watch researcher based in Tunis, said the group had documented numerous attacks on activists, journalists and political figures by various groups, including the Salafis. | In Tunisia, some hoped that the killing would serve as a warning not just about the dangers of political violence, but also about the authorities’ refusal to confront it. Amna Guellali, a Human Rights Watch researcher based in Tunis, said the group had documented numerous attacks on activists, journalists and political figures by various groups, including the Salafis. |
| “The victims filed complaints to local tribunals, but never heard anything back,” she said. “There is a trend of impunity. This impunity can lead to emboldening” attackers. | “The victims filed complaints to local tribunals, but never heard anything back,” she said. “There is a trend of impunity. This impunity can lead to emboldening” attackers. |
| “Yesterday, Chokri called for a national dialogue to confront political violence,” she said. “This just adds to the tragedy.” | “Yesterday, Chokri called for a national dialogue to confront political violence,” she said. “This just adds to the tragedy.” |
Monica Marks reported from Tunis, and Kareem Fahim from Cairo. Reporting was contributed by Alan Cowell from Paris, Gerry Mullany from Hong Kong, Mayy El Sheikh from Cairo, David D. Kirkpatrick from Antakya, Turkey, and Brian Knowlton from Washington. | Monica Marks reported from Tunis, and Kareem Fahim from Cairo. Reporting was contributed by Alan Cowell from Paris, Gerry Mullany from Hong Kong, Mayy El Sheikh from Cairo, David D. Kirkpatrick from Antakya, Turkey, and Brian Knowlton from Washington. |