Tunisia set for general strike after killing of opposition politician

Dozens of people turned up to pay their respects to Chokri Belaid, the Tunisian opposition politician shot dead outside his Tunis home on Wednesday.

Belaid was a leading member of the leftist Popular Front coalition. His assassination has left the country in shock and intensified a political crisis around the dominant political party Ennahda.

Belaid’s sister said: “I blame Ennahda, party president Rached Ghannouchi and Interior minister Ali Larayedh personally for my brother’s killing.
“They were the only ones threatening him, he didn’t have any other enemies. We accuse no other political party, only them.”

Ennahda is the majority member of the ruling coalition. A moderate Islamist party, it has a few radical factions but has denied having any hand in his killing.

Mohammed Habib Marzouki, party member and adviser to the Tunsian prime minister said: “Ennahda has no reason to attack a political adversary. But if the judiciary finds otherwise and shows those accusations are valid, then the law should be applied.”

Belaid’s killing has sparked widespread protests and the country’s main labour union has called a nationwide general strike for Friday.

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