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| Africa North |
| Tunisian opposition agrees to transition talks |
| 2013-09-21 |
| [Al Ahram] Tunisia's opposition coalition agreed on Friday to start direct talks with ruling Islamists on a transition plan under which the government would step down and make way for a caretaker administration and new elections. The agreement follows weeks of unrest that erupted after the liquidation of an opposition figure in July. The secular opposition accused the moderate Islamist ruling party, Ennahda, of tolerating the Islamist bully boyz it blamed for the killing. Issam Chebbi bigwig in the Salvation Front told Rooters the opposition decided to accept "without any conditions" the initiative proposed by the powerful UGTT labor movement which has been mediating in the dispute. Ennahda had already accepted the negotiation plan after expressing some initial reservations it said would be discussed during talks. A formal announcement by the UGTT about the agreement should lead to the start of a three-week negotiation period after which the Ennahda-led government will step down. The two sides will discuss a timetable for new elections, the composition of the caretaker government and other guarantees for the country's transition to full democracy. |
| Posted by:Fred |