Law and FDI

 

A  leading Tunisian opposition figure, Shokri Belaid, leader of the left-leaning opposition Democratic Patriots party, has been killed as he was leaving his home.He was transported to a hospital in the suburbs of Tunis on Wednesday, where he died of his wounds, his brother confirmed.

Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Janabi in Tunis reported violent clashes between Belaid’s supporters and police along Habib Borguiba Avenue, with the police using tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters and making numerous arrests.

Crowds of mourners, chanting “the people want the fall of the regime”, crowded around an ambulance carrying Belaid’s body.Al Jazeera’s Youssef Gaigi, reporting from Tunis, said the murder came as a shock for many in Tunisia. “This was clearly a targeted killing of a high-profile politician, the first of its kind in this country.”

Ziad Lakhader, a leader of the Popular Front, the umbrella organisation of the Democratic Patriots, said Belaid was killed by bullets to the head and chest.Meanwhile, four Tunisian opposition groups, including the Popular Front announced on Wednesday that they were pulling out of the national assembly and called for a general strike.

Belaid had been critical of Tunisia’s leadership, especially the Islamist party Ennahda that dominates the government.He had accused authorities of not doing enough to stop violence by ultraconservatives who have targeted mausoleums, art exhibits and other things seen as out of keeping with their strict interpretation of Islam.

Government spokesperson Samir Dilou called it an “odious crime”. Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki said he would fight those who opposed the political transition in his country after the death of Belaid. Marzouki, who cut short a visit to France on Wednesday, told lawmakers at the European Parliament in Strasbourg to applause: “We will continue to fight the enemies of the revolution.”

Marzouki also cancelled a visit to Egypt scheduled for Thursday after the killing, which brought thousands of protesters onto the streets outside the Interior Ministry.Chanting for the fall of the Annahda-led government, demonstrators shouted “Shame, shame Shokri died”, “Where is the government?”, and “The government should fall”.

Omar bin Ali, a member of the Tunisian Trade Union, was present at the demonstration site and said “the Islamists were responsible for Belaid’s death”.

“This is what they have been calling for in mosques,” Bin Ali told Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Janabi outside of the ministry.

Ruling out the possibility of external factors, Bin Ali said “Tunisia is a friend of all nations.

It is hard to think of anyone from abroad to do this to us,” adding that “the people want the whole government out as they proved to be useless”.The killing comes as Tunisia is struggling to maintain stability and revive its economy after its longtime dictator was overthrown in an uprising two years ago.

Opposition leader Mohamed Jamour blasted the government in a press conference on Wednesday for failing to protect Belaid against stated threats.