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Journalism of Courage
Gunmen fired at random from cars in Tunis on Saturday and inmates staged a mass jailbreak while leaders tried to map out Tunisias political future after the president was swept from power.
The speaker of parliament,Fouad Mebazza,was sworn in as interim president. He asked Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi to form a coalition government and the constitutional authorities said a presidential election should be held within 60 days.
It was not clear who the assailants were but a senior military source told Reuters that people affiliated to former President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali were behind the shootings.
Soldiers and tanks were stationed in the center of Tunis to try to restore order after a night of looting after Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia following a month of violent anti-government protests that claimed dozens of lives.
In a sign that Ben Alis rule was over,workers were taking down a portrait of the former president outside the headquarters of his RCD party on Mohamed V Avenue in Tunis.
We are very happy to be free after 23 years of prison, said Fahmi Bouraoui,who was drinking coffee in the Mozart cafe,one of a few businesses that re-opened on Saturday morning.
But his optimism could be short-lived as parts of the country descended in to chaos. Tunisian analyst Taoufik Ayachi said of the drive-by shootings,about 10 km from the city center on Saturday and in another suburb on Friday night: It is certain the presidential police are behind all this. They still hope to regain power.
Dozens of inmates were killed when they broke out of Mahdia prison and the prison at Monastir,also south of the capital,was on fire after a separate escape attempt,witnesses said.
They tried to escape and the police fired on them. Now there are tens of people dead and everybody has escaped, said Imed,who lives 200 metres from Mahdia jail.
Forty-two people died in the Monastir riot,the official news agency said.
In suburban Tunis,the big Geant shopping center was on fire,witnesses said.
State television showed footage of dozens of people who had been arrested for looting and violence. They had knives and double-barreled shotguns and a small lorry stocked with stolen shoes,electrical equipment and a display mannequin.
Ghannouchi earlier confirmed reports that members of Ben Alis family had been arrested,but did not say who.
Al Jazeera television reported that Ben Alis head of presidential security had been arrested.
The acting president on state television he had asked the prime minister to form a coalition government.
I have called on Mohamed Ghannouchi to form a new government of national unity, he said in televised comments.
An opposition leader who held talks with the prime minister on Saturday said there would be more negotiations on Sunday.
We discussed the idea of a coalition government and the PM accepted our request, Mustafa Ben Jaafar,leader of the Union of Freedom and Labour party,told Reuters. There will be another meeting with the aim of getting the country out of this situation and to have real reforms. The results of these discussions will be announced tomorrow.
