The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views
The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views |
| Thousands of Tunisians call for Islamist government to quit Posted: 16 Mar 2013 08:50 AM PDT  A woman holds a picture of anti-Islamist opposition leader Chokri Belaid near his tomb at a ceremony to mark the 40th day of mourning after his assassination, at El-Jellaz cemetery in Tunis. — Reuters picTUNIS (Tunisia), March 16 —Thousands of Tunisians took to the streets of the capital Tunis on Saturday to call for an end to an Islamist government they blame for the assassination of a leading secular politician 40 days earlier. It was the biggest demonstration since Chokri Belaid was gunned down outside his house on Feb. 6, igniting the worst unrest since the Jasmine Revolution that toppled strongman Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 and started the Arab Spring. In a bid to quell the protests, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali resigned and was replaced by Ali Larayedh, a fellow member of the Islamist Ennahda party, who formed a new coalition government including independents in key ministries. But protesters on Saturday blamed the ruling party for Belaid's murder and chanted "Ennahda go," "The people want a new revolution," and "The people want to bring down the regime." No one has claimed responsibility for the killing, which Belaid's family blames on Ennahda. The party denies involvement and police say the killer was a radical Salafist Islamist. Belaid, a left-wing lawyer, was shot at close range outside his Tunis home by an assassin who fled on a motorcycle. His nine-party Popular Front bloc has only three seats in Tunisia's Constituent Assembly, which is acting as parliament and writing a new national charter, compared to some 120 for Ennahda and its partners. But Belaid spoke for many who fear religious radicals are stifling freedoms won in the Arab Spring. The North African state's new Islamist-led government won a confidence vote on Wednesday although the death of an unemployed man who set himself on fire underscored popular discontent with high unemployment, inflation and corruption. "They killed Chokri but they cannot kill the values of freedom defended by him," Belaid's widow Basma said in front of her husband's grave on Saturday. Tunisia's transition has been more peaceful than those in Egypt and Libya, and has led to freedom of expression and political pluralism. But tensions run high between liberals and the Islamists who did not play a major role in the revolt but were elected to power. The government is also pressing ahead with tax rises and subsidy cuts to reduce this year's projected budget deficit of 6 percent of gross domestic product, despite a storm of public criticism. Lacking the huge oil and gas resources of neighbours Libya and Algeria, Tunisia's compact size, relatively skilled workforce and close ties with Europe have raised hopes it can set an example of economic progress for the region. Tourism is a major foreign currency earner. — Reuters |
| Everton leave Man City’s title hopes in tatters Posted: 16 Mar 2013 08:46 AM PDT  Everton's Fellaini challenges Manchester City's Silva during their English Premier League soccer match at Goodison Park in Liverpool. — Reuters picLONDON, March 16 — Manchester City's fingertip hold on their Premier League title was loosened further after a demoralising 2-0 defeat at Everton on Saturday left them hoping for a footballing miracle. Leon Osman's swerving 32nd-minute shot put Everton in front at a raucous Goodison Park and, even though the home side were reduced to 10 men when Steven Pienaar was red-carded for a rash tackle on the hour, City could not reply. Substitute Nikica Jelavic sealed victory in stoppage time on the counter-attack after being set up by Marouane Fellaini, to leave City 12 points behing leaders Manchester United, who host joint-bottom Reading later on Saturday. A week after being booed and heckled by their own fans in an embarrassing 3-0 FA Cup defeat at home to struggling Wigan Athletic, Everton produced a gutsy performance to remain in contention for a top-four finish. Victory lifted David Moyes's team into fifth place, a point above Arsenal, who are away at Swansea City (1500) and four behind fourth-placed Chelsea. "It was disappointing last week (in their defeat by Wigan) but we showed when we are at the races we are a match for any team," Osman, who is in the England squad for next week's World Cup qualifiers, told Sky Sports. "It's difficult to play with 10 against any team, especially the champions, but we kept them at bay." Osman's strike to break the deadlock was a special one. Receiving the ball from Seamus Coleman 25 metres from goal, Osman lashed a shot that flew past England keeper Joe Hart and bulged the netting. Carlos Tevez went close to an equaliser with a shot just wide of the post but City were missing the drive of Yaya Toure in midfield as Everton dominated. City showed more desire after the break and were pressing hard for an equaliser when Pienaar raked his studs down the shin of Javi Garcia, who had earlier squandered a close-range chance. The inevitable red card merely raised Everton to greater efforts, with second-choice keeper Jan Mucha exemplifying their commitment with a great double save from Tevez and James Milner. City were denied a late penalty when Tevez's shot was blocked by the arm of Fellaini in the penalty area, with the referee ruling it had been outside the box and awarding only a free kick, which came to nothing. Jelavic's stoppage-time effort made it a dark day for City manager Roberto Mancini, who declined to give his post-match television interview, instead sending out assistant David Platt. "He's angry and he's taking stock of it," Platt said. "He wants to calm down rather than say anything that will get him into trouble. He's angry in general. "We got outworked by Everton, but there is no doubt in my mind about the handball. "It was three yards inside the area and though perhaps the performance didn't deserve it, that's by the by. "Perhaps we could have got a bit more out of it if that decision had gone for us." — Reuters |
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