20110118
africanews

unisia's Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi has announced a national unity government to replace the former administration led by President Ben Ali who was ousted by a month-long anti-hunger uprising last Friday.

According to the BBC, incumbent PM Ghannouchi retains his job as well as foreign, interior and defence ministers, with several opposition figures joining the government.

The new government is tasked with preparing the north African country for elections, and to put in place a series of measures to open up political and media freedom.

Ghannouchi says all political parties will be allowed to operate in Tunisia, political prisoners will be freed and the media will be permitted "total freedom".

"We have decided to free all the people imprisoned for their ideas, their beliefs or for having expressed dissenting opinions," he told AFP.

Three prominent opposition figures were handed key posts in the government.
Ahmed Ibrahim, leader of the opposition Ettajdid party, becomes minister of higher education, while Mustafa Ben Jaafar, of the Union of Freedom and Labour, is to serve as health minister.

Najib Chebbie, founder of the Progressive Democratic Party, was named as Tunisia's new development minister.