Tunisia's fragile new government emerged from its first meeting today hopeful that it can reunite a country scarred by deadly riots, and calm people still seething at the party which reigned supreme for 23 years.

The Tunisian army fired warning shots in the capital today as demonstrators marched toward the ruling party’s headquarters and government ministers quit the party in a desperate attempt to keep their jobs.

Two top ministers in Tunisia’s government have quit the political party founded by the country’s ousted ruler.

Hundreds of protesters marched through Tunisia’s capital today demanding that allies of the exiled president stop clinging to power.