The Tunisian government rolled tanks and hundreds of army troops into the capital late Friday after Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia. The attempt to restore order has been far from effective.  There were widespread reports of looting and uncontrolled violence as the government tried to enforce a dusk to dawn curfew.  The Financial Times describes the scene in the capital of Tunis:

As evening fell thick columns of smoke rose from buildings in the capital, where looters appear to have set fire to shops. An army helicopter circled overhead. Parts of the capital were terrorised on Saturday by squads of men in civilian clothes who drove through the city at high speed shooting randomly at buildings and people in what many suspect was an attempt by forces loyal to the ousted president to sow chaos and destabilise a tense transition.

There were also fears that murderers and violent criminals had escaped alongside political prisoners who were freed or escaped from jails during a further day of protests. Many Tunisians said they suspected that groups affiliated to Mr Ben Ali’s security services are bent on sowing chaos in an effort to destabilise the transition to a new order

The speaker of the parliament was appointed as the second interim president in as many days but opposition forces want a clean sweep of the old regime.

Ben Ali came to power 23 years ago and since installed one of the most repressive regimes in the region. His rule, however, quickly unraveled after a a few weeks of massive street confrontations sparked by soaring food prices, unemployment and rampant corruption.  Dozens have died in this the country of ten million and the revolt has sent shock waves through nearby authoritarian Arab regimes -- a fierce warning on how quickly years of dictatorship can come undone.

Bloggers and citizen journalists in neighboring countries are roundly applauding what might turn out to the first Arab democratic revolution -- but it is far from clear right now just how deep that revolution will run.

The Telegraph reports that much of the country has descended into chaos and that most organized of forces remains police units loyal to the ousted president.  The interim government has promised elections within 60 days but Tunisians have seen one election after another rigged to keep Ben Ali's party in power. 

Demands in the street are now for a complete change over in the hands of power and within days it is certain that this push will either be met with greater political freedom or with more repression. For the moment, most reports coming out of Tunisia describe the situation as a tense and volatile power vacuum.