Tunisia crisis | Three ministers quit new cabinet amid new street protests

They are reportedly from the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), which played a key role in protests which ousted the former president.

Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi angered many protesters when he kept several ministers from the former ruling party in their jobs.

Ghannouchi had hoped to placate protesters yesterday by announcing a government of national unity - which included members of the opposition but also retained members of the ruling RCD party in key ministerial positions.

But some protesters had denounced the new administration as a betrayal and now the junior transport minister has said he and two other ministers are leaving,

French news agency AFP named him as Anouar Ben Gueddour and the other two as Abdeljelil Bedoui and Houssine Dimassi. It said all three were members of the UGTT - which earlier reportedly decided not to recognise the new government.

Police in riot gear this morning fired volleys of teargas to disperse angry protesters who gathered in the streets of Tunis in an expression of anger at the inclusion of Ministers in the new government who were part of the deposed President’s regime.