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TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia's Interior Ministry, daylong feared as an instrument of repression, is hoping a newborn Facebook tender will support it thaw relations with its citizens.

The move marks an about-face for the organization, which proven to stamp discover ethnic networking during the uprising last period that unnatural President Zine al-Abidine Ben calif to travel downbound and dispatched shockwaves finished the Semite world.

"We poverty to create a newborn artefact to transmit with Tunisians, that provides total transparency and instant information," a spokesman for the ministry told Reuters Friday.

"We're rattling interested in the instrument of grouping on Facebook and we're disagreeable to center to every Tunisians."

North Africa's smallest land was plunged into disturbance after digit man's self-immolation in a oppose against authorities sparked a revolt that led Ben calif to scarper to Arabian peninsula and pleased a similar turning in Egypt.

Ben Ali, who took power in 1987, was seen by some as an oppressive ruler who raided open funds. Elections to replace him are due by July or August.

Days after existence set up, the newborn Facebook place has more than 110,000 subscribers and contains thousands of posts ranging from requests for the dissolution of the semipolitical police to a suggestion not to permit cart salesmen roam freely in the traffic-choked capital.

During the protests, in which mountain were killed, Tunisia's polity proven to closed downbound the ethnic networking sites of activists, who used them to organize protests and transmit images of brutality by security forces.

"It is a rattling beatific sign to wager them disagreeable to be closer now, coming from a ministry whose rattling study we used to fear," said 22-year-old student Majed Nasraoui. "But I vexation that the ministry is controlling us again finished this page."

Tunisia's caretaker polity has committed to support immunity of countenance and uncensored admittance to the cyberspace -- moves that could support pave the artefact to reinforced trading terms with the dweller Union.

In the meantime, Tunisians are using the Interior Ministry's Facebook place to air opinions they feared to absolute a few weeks ago.

"Mr Minister, over the past period I have not seen a azygos police officer. Before that, there were decade beside me every day," said digit of the posts.

(Editing by Richard Valdmanis)

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