Tunis (dpa) – Tunisia's Islamist new Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali on Thursday unveiled a proposed power-sharing government, in which his Ennahda party, winner of the country's first free elections, would control the interior, justice and foreign affairs ministries. Jebali presented his line-up of 30 ministers and 11 deputy ministers to the constituent assembly that was elected in October. The assembly will vote Friday on whether to accept or reject his choices. Ennahda has formed a coalition with two leftist coalition partners – the Congress for the Republic of President Moncef Marzouki and Ettakatol, party of Assembly President Mustafa Ben Jaafar. Of the 30 ministerial positions, Jebali proposed that 13 go to Ennahda, eight to independents and the rest to the Congress for the Republic and Ettakatol. The new power-sharing government will replace the interim regime that had run Tunisia since the ouster of autocratic president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January. Ben Ali went into exile after a month of street protests. Ettakatol got the finance and tourism ministries, among others, while the Congress for the Republic got women's affairs and employment. Jebali's interior minister choice of Ali Larayedh, a member of Ennahda's executive, was likely to be controversial. Larayedh spent 14 years in prison under the secular Ben Ali's regime for being a member of Ennahda, including 13 years in solitary confinement. Some Tunisians have said an ex-prisoner might be tempted to seek revenge against his jailors. dpa swi cfb BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/WwsXY Tags: Cabinet, Government, Line-up Section: Latest News, Tunisia
