Tunisia on edge after protests force out president

Tunisia was on edge today after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ended his 23 years of iron-fisted rule by fleeing a wave of deadly social protests in the first such departure for an Arab leader.

Ben Ali signed a decree handing interim presidential powers to Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi and flew out of the capital Tunis to refuge in Saudia Arabia after failing to quell growing public anger against his regime.

There were scenes of looting overnight in the suburbs of Tunis, witnesses said on state television, but the streets were mostly empty today with shops shuttered and army patrols in the city centre visibly stepped up.

French-owned hypermarkets and supermarkets were among the properties looted in Tunis and Marsa by dozens of people.

Repeated bursts of gunfire could be heard in the centre during the night.

In an address on state television yesterday after a day of riots that engulfed Tunis and several other towns in the North African state, Ghannouchi announced that he had taken over and promised social and political reforms.

"I call on Tunisians of all political persuasions and from all regions to demonstrate patriotism and unity," said Ghannouchi, a 69-year-old career bureaucrat who has served as prime minister on and off since 1999.

The government earlier said new elections would be held in six months.

Early today, Saudi Arabia announced it had taken in Ben Ali "out of concern for the exceptional circumstances facing the brotherly Tunisian people and in support of the security and stability of their country".

US President Barack Obama meanwhile hailed the "courage" and "dignity" of Tunisian protesters and called for "free and fair elections in the near future".

The European Union also expressed "support and recognition to the Tunisian people and their democratic aspirations, which should be achieved in a peaceful way".

Ben Ali came to power in a bloodless coup in 1987 at a time of stagnation for Tunisia and he was initially hailed by many people for enacting liberal economic reforms as well as nipping in the bud the Islamist Ennahdha party.

He later came under growing criticism for authoritarianism and corruption.

The government has declared a state of emergency following the recent violence and has put in place a dusk-to-dawn curfew across the country under which anyone disobeying orders or fleeing from security forces can be shot.

Analysts said the abrupt change of power was likely to send shockwaves around a region dominated by veteran leaders like the 74-year-old Ben Ali.

The Tunisian president's departure was the first time that an Arab leader has been forced to leave office by pressure from public protests.

The rare protests in tightly controlled Tunisia were unleashed by the suicide attempt last month of 26-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire after police prevented him from selling vegetables to make a living.