(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Following days of tense negotiations, Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi on Thursday said he was staying on but replaced five ministers from Ben Ali's last government whose retention of key posts had been decried by protesters.
Ghannouchi said on state television "This is a temporary government with a clear mission -- to allow a transition to democracy. Its mission is to organize elections."
New ministers were appointed to the key foreign, defence and interior posts.
Kamel Morjane was replaced as foreign minister by Ahmed Ounais -- a Paris-educated career diplomat and former ambassador to Moscow and New Delhi.
Farhat Rajhi, a former chief prosecutor, was appointed as interior minister and Abdelkarim Zebidi, a medical professor, took over defence.
Hundreds of protesters who have camped out in front of Ghannouchi's offices for five days in defiance of a curfew and a ban on rallies applauded when they heard the news, but some of them still called for Ghannouchi himself to quit.
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