Tunisia: Opposition to Step up Protests until 2018 Budget Dropped
Local Editor
Tunisia's main opposition party will step up protests until the government drops the "unjust" 2018 budget, its leader said Tuesday, a day after demonstrations against austerity measures broke out.
"Today we have a meeting with the opposition parties to coordinate our movements, but we will stay on the street and we will increase the pace of the protests until the unjust financial law will be dropped," Popular Front leader Hamma Hammami told reporters.
The 2018 budget includes price and tax increases effective from Jan 1.
On Monday, protests erupted in more than 10 towns across Tunisia against price and tax increases imposed by the government to reduce a ballooning deficit and an economic crisis. One protestor was killed in Tebourba, a town 40 km west of Tunis.
Khelifa Chibani, a spokesman for the interior ministry, said 44 people had been arrested for carrying weapons such as knives, setting government buildings on fire and looting shops.
PM Chahed told reporters that while demonstrations were acceptable, violence was not.
"People have to understand that the situation is extraordinary and their country is have difficulties but we believe that 2018 will be the last difficult year for the Tunisians," Chahed said.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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