By Lin Noueihed
TUNIS (Reuters) - The United States asked Tunisia's embattled interim government on Wednesday to do more to satisfy the demands of the people and said once again that it was ready to assist the country in preparing for its first free elections.
Assistant Secretary of State Jeff Feltman said he had met civil society activists and opposition leaders as well as members of the government, which is under pressure from protesters demanding it get rid of former ruling party members.
"The more that the interim government of Tunisia takes concrete steps to prepare for and implement democratic elections and a democratic system, and the more the interim and future governments are able to answer the grievances that led to this popular movement, the stronger and the warmer its partnership with the United States will be," Feltman said.
"The interim unity government ... have made some encouraging statements and have taken some good steps regarding the need for elections, for greater openness, for significant reforms. These steps will need to be implemented, expanded upon and added to in the days and months ahead."
Tunisia's former president Zine al-Abdine Ben Ali fled the country on January 14, after weeks of protests demanding freedom and better economic conditions after 23 years of police rule.
Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, who was also prime minister under deposed leader Ben Ali, has faced protests demanding he quit. He has promised to resign from politics once elections are held in a few months.
FOREIGN INTERESTS
Feltman's comments come as Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi told private Tunisian Nessma TV he feared that the Tunisian revolution was being exploited by "foreign interests."
Feltman said the United States had not been involved in Ben Ali's departure, and had since revoked the visas of the former strongman and his family. The U.S. Treasury Department had also asked U.S. banks to report on Tunisian transactions.
Tunisians accuse Ben Ali's family of getting rich at the expense of the people. Tunisia has vowed to recover his assets.
"We stand with the government of Tunisia in recovering their rightful assets," Feltman said.
Inspired by Tunisia, thousands of Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities on Tuesday to demand an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, clashing with police who fired teargas.
The sudden end of Ben Ali's rule by mainly young people protesting against corruption and repression has electrified the Arab world, in which ordinary people face similar problems.
"We think governments everywhere should be finding ways to permit peaceful assembly, freedom of speech and freedom of media in order to give people a stake in their own future," Feltman said.
(Editing by Louise Ireland)
