Tunisian minister quits over government dispute

Tunis, Tunisia: A Tunisian minister is resigning in the latest sign of cracks in the nation’s coalition government.

Mohammad Abu, the minister of administrative reform, told The Associated Press he is quitting because wasn’t being given enough authority by the prime minister to fight corruption.

Tunisia’s government unites the moderate Islamist Al Nahda Party of Prime Minister Hamadi Jabali with two other leftist parties.

Abu hails from the party of President Munsif Marzouki, who recently quarrelled with the prime minister over his decision to extradite a high-ranking Libyan official.

Marzouki’s press counsellor, Ayoub Messaoudi, and his economic adviser, Chawki Abid, have also resigned in recent days.

Some party members oppose the alliance with the powerful Islamists.