<p><br /> The Tunisian capital appears to be calm after a night curfew was put in place following clashes and rapid political developments during the day.<br /> </p><p><br /> Anti-government protests had continued throughout the day, as demands grew for President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to quit.<br /> </p><p><br /> Ben Ali later stepped aside, as Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi took over as interim president.<br /> </p><p><br /> The president has ruled with an iron fist for 23 years, but anger over soaring unemployment and corruption finally spilled into the streets and led to him fleeing the country.<br /> </p><p><br /> Thousands of demonstrators from all walks of life mobbed the capital of Tunis to demand Ben Ali's ouster, the culmination of weeks of protests that have swept the country.<br /> </p><p><br /> The shakeup is certain to have repercussions in the Arab world and beyond - as a sign that massive public outrage could bring down a leader as entrenched and powerful as Ben Ali.<br /> </p><p><br /> The president tried vainly to hold onto power amid Friday's riots, declaring a state of emergency, dissolving the government and promising new legislative elections within six months.<br /> </p><p><br /> A day earlier he had promised not to run for re-election in 2014 and also slashed prices on key foods such as sugar, bread and milk.<br /> </p><p><br /> The 74-year-old leader came to power in a bloodless coup in 1987, taking over from a man called formally President-for-Life.<br /> </p><p><br /> Ben Ali seized power from Habib Bourguiba, the founder of modern-day Tunisia who set the Muslim country on a pro-Western course after independence from France in 1956.<br /> </p><p><br /> Ben Ali removed Bourguiba from office for "incompetence," saying he had become too old, senile and sick to rule. He promised then that his leadership would "open the horizons to a truly democratic and evolved political life." But after a brief period of reforms early on, Tunisia's political evolution stopped.<br /> </p>
