Formation of Tunisia's unity government sparks new protests

Riot police fired tear gas at angry protesters Tuesday as Tunisia's prime minister defended the decision to include members of the deeply unpopular old regime in a government shake-up aimed at quelling the country's simmering unrest.

Monday’s announcement of a new unity government followed weeks of violent protests that killed 78 people.

“Now we are waiting to see if this government may work or not,” says Archbishop Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham of Tunis.

But on Tuesday, Tunisia's junior minister for transportation announced that he and two other ministers with ties to a top labour union have resigned from the newly formed government.

The country has suffered riots, looting and an apparent settling-of-scores after President Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday, as public protests spread over years of state repression, corruption, and a shortage of jobs for many educated young adults.

Now, Archbishop Lahham says that in the capital “80 per cent of life has gone back to normal -- but still everything is not 100 per cent OK.”

“For the moment all we desire is that the people of Tunisia may live with dignity and freedom.”

Listen to Archbishop Lahham’s interview with Kelsea Brennan-Wessels: