20110205
reuters

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia will next week lift a state of emergency that was imposed last month by ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali at the height of a popular revolt, Tourism Minister Mehdi Houass said on Friday.

"Next week will see the lifting of the state of emergency," Houass told reporters.

The state of emergency, alongside a curfew and a ban on public gatherings, were imposed by Ben Ali on January 14, a few hours before he fled the country.

Authorities have since then reduced the curfew period as protests abated.

"We wanted to do this step by step out of caution and to ensure total security for people," Houass added.

Major street protests have dried up in Tunisia in recent days, after a reshuffle purged the interim government of most Ben Ali loyalists, but many Tunisians have called for more members of the old guard to be removed.

Tunisia's Interior Minister on Tuesday said some members of the security forces were in a conspiracy to undermine the state, after a wave of violence including the burning of a synagogue and an attack on the ministry itself.