Tunisia's Ennahda names ex-Interior Minister Larayedh for PM

The leader of Tunisia's main Islamist Ennahda party said on Friday it had chosen former Interior Minister Ali Larayedh as its nominee for prime minister to succeed Hamadi Jebali.

Rached Ghannouchi said on his Facebook page that Larayedh was the party's candidate. A senior Ennahda official confirmed this.

This comes after Tunisia's interior minister had announced the arrest of several suspects in the assassination of a leftist politician two weeks ago that plunged the country into a political crisis.
    
Ali Larayedh said late Thursday that "rapid progress" had been made in the investigation into Chorki Belaid's killing.
     
He gave few details, however, and could not confirm whether those arrested were the suspected killers themselves or say who was behind the assassination.
     
Belaid was shot four times outside his home on Feb. 6, provoking days of unrest after many held the government responsible for his death.
    
Tunisia's prime minister has since resigned and the largest party in the assembly, the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party, is now working on putting together a new governing coalition.
 

REUTERS/AP