Clashes erupted between groups of young people throwing stones and police using tear gas to disperse them in the town of Gafsa in southern Tunisia. However, the situation was calm in other parts of the country, which was the birthplace of the Arab Spring uprisings. There were concerns about potential unrest following calls for a general strike, and the funeral of the assassinated politician Chokri Belaid, which might be postponed until Friday. Prime Minister Hamdi Jebali of the Ennahda party announced plans to replace the government with a non-partisan cabinet until elections could be held. However, there was disagreement within the party about this decision. Opposition parties rejected the idea of a government of experts and demanded to be consulted before any new cabinet was formed. The ongoing political deadlock could worsen the unrest, highlighting the divide between Islamists and secular groups in Tunisia. Belaid was killed by a gunman on a motorcycle as he left his home for work. The killing of a prominent politician sparked widespread protests across Tunisia, with thousands of people taking to the streets, reminiscent of the protests in Egypt. The ruling party denied any involvement in the killing, but its headquarters were set on fire by angry crowds. The opposition is pushing for a new technocratic government, but there are concerns about political deadlock and further unrest. Many Tunisians fear that religious radicals are threatening the freedoms gained during the Arab Spring uprisings. International powers are urging Tunisians to pursue a peaceful transition to democracy amidst growing discontent over living standards and Islamist influence. It remains lower than that of Egypt, which is experiencing unrest. Tunisia, lacking the large oil and gas resources of Libya and Algeria, relies heavily on tourism for income. Further unrest could discourage tourists from visiting. After protests on Wednesday, Jebali announced that discussions on restructuring the government had failed due to disagreements within the coalition. One secular party threatened to leave unless Ennahda replaced some ministers. Opposition parties demanded that Jebali, who planned to remain as caretaker prime minister, consult with them before making any decisions to dissolve the cabinet. Belaid, who was killed the day before, had been criticizing a culture of violence. He mentioned that the tolerance exhibited by Ennahda and its two secularist allies towards Salafists has allowed the growth of groups that are against modern culture and liberal ideas. Similar to Egypt, secular leaders have accused Islamists of trying to impose strict religious beliefs on the new state. This disagreement has delayed the agreement on a constitution for a parliamentary election, which was anticipated to take place by June. However, unlike Egypt, Ennahda has struggled to establish a stable partnership with key state institutions, as the Muslim Brotherhood did with the Egyptian military. According to a recent analysis by risk consultancy Stratfor, this failure to rely on the state security apparatus as a regime supporter has left Ennahda with limited resources to address the growing political opposition and public demand for significant changes in the government.