New PM Replaces Islamist Government in Tunisia

On Saturday, Tunisia's 21 political parties picked the minister of industry, Mehdi Jomaa, 50, as the next prime minister, who will replace the Islamist-led government with a team of technocrats, AP reported.

Jomaa now has three weeks to cobble together his government, whose main task will be to prepare presidential and legislative elections next year.

The Islamist-led government had agreed to step down after the assassination last July of a leftist opponent, the second political assassination in six months.

Tunisia was the birthplace of the "Arab Spring," in January 2011.