US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on the embattled Tunisian prime minister to carry out democratic reforms to stem the country's political turmoil, her spokesman said Saturday.
Clinton called Mohammed Ghannouchi "to encourage ongoing reforms, and pledged support for transition to open democracy," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a message on the micro-blogging website Twitter.
It was the latest effort by Washington to press for democratic reforms in Tunisia following the ouster of strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who ruled the country with an iron fist for 23 years.
On Thursday, the United States said it hoped Tunisia could have "credible elections" later this year.
Ghannouchi faced mounting pressure to quit on Saturday, as the country's main trade union mobilized against him.
Thousands rallied in the capital Tunis and other cities, while hundreds of protesters backed by the UGTT union began a symbolic march on the capital from the impoverished region where the uprising began last month.
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