Thousands greet Tunisian leader's return

Tunis: Tunisian leader Rached Ghannouchi returned to his homeland after more than 20 years in exile on Sunday, eyeing a political future for his Ennahda movement after the fall of Tunisia's regime.

Ghannouchi walked into the arrivals hall of Tunis airport, with thousands of supporters crowding around him saying they were afraid he could be arrested by the police.

Supporters held up olive branches and flowers. There were also dozens of people protesting his arrival at the airport.

The 69-year-old said he was elated as he checked in for his historic flight at London's Gatwick airport, where he posed with a Tunisian flag and embraced relatives before boarding for a country that he has not seen since 1989.

"When I return home today I am returning to the Arab world as a whole," he told reporters, adding that Ennahda now planned to register officially as a political party and take part in the country's first democratic elections.

The new interim government installed in the north African state after the fall of president Zine Al Abidine Bin Ali on January 14 has allowed several key exiles to return despite bans on them from the old regime.

Ghannouchi, a former radical preacher who says he now espouses moderate ideals similar to Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), was persecuted in Tunisia ever since founding his Islamist movement in 1981.

He still officially has a life sentence hanging over his head, although the new government has drawn up an amnesty law for political convicts like Ghannouchi, which has to go before parliament for final approval.

"There is still confusion regarding the political situation.... The interim government is changing its ministers every day, it's not stable yet and its powers are not clear yet," Ghannouchi told reporters before leaving.