Power Changes Hands Again in Tunisia

Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, who declared himself president of Tunisia Friday, didn't last long: After a bitter clash between protesters and police, the revolutionaries demanding an end to Tunisia's authoritarian rule demanded that Ghannouchi give up the seat. State television announced Saturday that Ghannouchi complied, passing power to the speaker of Tunisia's parliament. Meanwhile, former President Ben Ali has fled to Saudi Arabia, and his big-spending relatives, who are partially responsible for the public's anger, took up residence in a luxury hotel near Disneyland Paris. The riots in the streets of Tunis have continued, though it is becoming difficult to tell who's protesting and who is looting. Ben Ali promised to hold parliamentary elections in six months, though the country has no record of previous free elections.