Protesters have taken to the streets in the Tunisian capital Tunis to call for the resignation of the government.


Around 250 protesters gathered on Friday outside the government's headquarters demanding the resignation of the ruling Ennahda party, AFP reported.

Waving Tunisian flags and shouting slogans such as "Government of failure, leave!" the demonstrators condemned the government for its inability to end the country’s ongoing political crisis.

"This government which led the national dialogue to failure by its lack of commitment, should hand in its resignation as soon as possible," said a protester during the rally.


The demonstration, called by the leftist Popular Front party, was the latest show of anger against the government. Tensions are mounting in the North African country, as rival parties are deadlocked over a political roadmap.

After months of political crisis, the ruling party and the opposition opened talks on October 25 to form a caretaker government comprised of independents that run the country until the next elections.

Under the plan, a new prime minister was to be named a week after the talks began. However, the two sides have so far failed to reach an agreement on a new prime minister.

The dispute centers on frontrunners Mohamed Ennaceur, 79, who is backed by the opposition, and Ahmed Mestiri, 88, who enjoys the support of Ennahda and its coalition partners.

Both veterans are well respected and served under the late Habib Bourguiba, who led the fight for Tunisia's independence from France and served as its first president from 1957 through 1987.

Mestiri held key portfolios of finance, justice, defense and interior in successive governments under Bourguiba while Ennaceur specializes in social affairs.

Tunisia has been experiencing tension since the 2011 uprising that toppled former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The situation worsened after militants killed key opposition figure Mohamed Brahmi, a member of the opposition Popular Front, in July following the assassination of secular opposition leader, Chokri Belaid, in February.

Poor economic conditions have also been fueling the unrest in Tunisia, where inflation is running at around six percent and the budget deficit stands at around 7.4 percent of gross domestic product.