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Tunisia crisis talks hit snag with assembly delay
[Al Ahram] A first plenary session of Tunisia's elected Assembly since the launch of all-party crisis talks was delayed on Tuesday with parliamentary groups reportedly at odds over an electoral commission.

The deputies were to have met at 9:30 am (0830 GMT) to examine amendments to a law setting up the commission but the session was postponed until 1430 GMT, the Constituent National Assembly said.

Al-Bawsala, an independent NGO which covers Assembly affairs, said the delay was caused by "disagreements on the law ... between different parliamentary groups."

Under a timetable agreed by Tunisia's ruling Islamists and the opposition, the electoral commission has to be formed by Saturday.

A "national dialogue" was launched last Friday and the government led by moderate Islamist movement Ennahda is to be replaced as part of a roadmap aimed at breaking a months-long political stalemate.

A new prime minister will have two weeks to form a government of independents under the timetable for the talks.

Posted by: Fred 2013-10-30
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=378620