Zine El Abidine Ben Ali the press, Tunisia was ranked 143 out of 173. In response to the protests, Ben Ali declared a state of emergency, dissolved the government on 14 January 2011, and promised new legislative elections within six months. However, events moved quickly, and it appears the armed forces and key members of the legislature had lost confidence in Ben-Ali, and had decided to take steps of their own. With power slipping from his grasp, Ben Ali resigned the presidency at about 16:00 and delegated prime minister Mohamed Ghannouchi to act as head of state during his "temporary" absence. With the army surrounding
Mohammed El Alaoui Mohammed El Alaoui "Sharif" Sidi Mohammed Alaoui (, born 7 July 1974 in Tangiers) is an Alaouite sharif and the current Chamberlain () of king Mohammed VI. He is reportedly a very close friend of the monarch, in addition to being his distant Alaouite cousin. Sharif Sidi Mohammed Alaoui is the son of "Sharif Moulay Zine El Abidine Alaoui" (Alaouite sharif and diplomat) and "Sharifa Lalla Oum Keltoum Alaoui". His mother Lalla Oum Keltoum is the daughter of "Prince Moulay El Hassan ben El Mehdi, the son of Sultan Mohammed IV (r. 1859-1873) and "Princess Lalla Fatima Zohra Azizia", the