After days of violent unrest, Tunisia's interim leadership is expected to announce a coalition government Monday in the latest step to restore calm and political stability in the North African country.
Despite signs that the crisis was beginning to fade, the country is still mired in violence due to a populist uprising that forced an end to 23 years of iron-fisted rule by ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and a subsequent power struggle.
Speaking on state TV, Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi said a new national unity government will "most certainly" be announced Monday "to open a new page in the history of Tunisia."
Three legal opposition parties could be included in the government that Ghannouchi has been directed to form by the interim president, Fouad Mebazaa, a former parliament speaker who was sworn in Sunday.
Mebazaa urged Ghannouchi to consult with the opposition, who were marginalized under Ben Ali. Presidential elections are to be held in 60 days.
The latest episode of violence saw Tunisia's army and newly-appointed presidential guard engaged in gunfights with militias loyal to Ben Ali on Sunday as tensions mounted between the ousted leader's supporters and opponents.
Gunbattles raged in Tunis, the capital, and nearby in Carthage on the Mediterranean coast, where authorities clashed with militias around the presidential palace. It was unclear whether any of the interim government's leaders were inside the palace at the time.
One Carthage resident said four men in a taxi went through a military checkpoint at the end of her street and drove towards the palace as they exchanged gunfire with soldiers.
Carthage residents barricaded themselves inside their homes until calm returned in the evening, the woman said.
A gunfight was also reported near the headquarters of PDP, the country's main opposition party.
Authorities arrested the head of Ben Ali's presidential guard on Sunday in their attempts to restore order and bring an end to violence that has killed dozens of people, according to Tunisia's state news agency.
The TAP news agency reported that security chief Ali Seriati and several others in Ben Ali's security force were detained on accusations they had plotted against state security, committed aggressive acts and provoked "disorder, murder and pillaging."
Police also arrested dozens of people suspected in drive-by shootings that have terrorized Tunisians during the protests.
Ben Ali had managed to hold on to power throughout a month of anti-government protests, but abruptly fled for Saudi Arabia on Friday. He abandoned his claim to power on Saturday, ending a reign that began with a bloodless coup in 1987.
The balance of power shifted hands twice over the following 24 hours -- briefly to Ghannouchi and then to Mebazaa.
The presidential musical chairs and subsequent mass rioting and looting shuttered Tunis over the weekend. The city is under a state of emergency as residents struggle to find security and food amid shortages of essentials such as milk, bread and fresh fish.
Protests over corruption, repression and high unemployment have been raging for more than a month and had been escalating in violence leading up to the end of Ben Ali's two-plus decades of autocratic rule.
Swedes mistaken for terrorists
Hundreds of tourists have been evacuated from Tunisia, but some remain in the country, despite the violence.
Before the gunbattle outside PDP headquarters, police arrested a group of nine Swedish boar hunters who were travelling in taxis to a hotel.
One of the Swedes, Ove Oberg, said police roughed them up and accused them of being terrorists.
Six of the men were released, while three others remained in police custody Sunday night. Some were wearing bloodstained clothes.
Meanwhile, Tunisians and observers continued to watch for signs of how the balance will be restored.
In Canada, those with roots in the nation took to the streets to celebrate the end of Ben Ali's reign. Canadian Tunisians gathered at demonstrations in Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto and on Parliament Hill on Saturday.
Montreal, home to about half of the 20,000 Tunisians living in Canada, held the largest rally.
The Canadian government has expressed regret over the dozens of lives lost during the protests. However, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon has said it was welcome news that elections would be held in the near future.
With files from The Associated Press
