Tunis , Tunisia ( CNN ) -- Tunisia on Sunday ended a three-day mourning period for dozens of people killed in protests that ousted the country 's long-term president . As the mourning period came to a close , small protests broke out in the capital , Tunis . Protesters have decried a new government formed in the wake of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali 's ouster . They have called it a sham , and demanded that officials with connections to the old guard be fired . The nation 's interim prime minister said that his country would hold its first free democratic elections since gaining independence and vowed to leave politics after the ballot . `` We want to make the next elections the first transparent and legitimate elections since independence , '' Tunisian Interim Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi said Friday . Ghannouchi said he will retire from politics after the elections are held . Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956 . Ghannouchi said upcoming political reforms would `` scrap all undemocratic laws including laws involving political parties , the elections and the anti-terrorism law that was abused by the former regime . '' `` I lived like all Tunisians , in pain and fear '' under the former president , Ghannouchi said . Ben Ali was ousted in a rebellion a week ago after ruling the north African nation for 23 years . Ghannouchi resigned from his ruling party this week and was appointed interim Prime Minister by the interim President Fouad Mebazaa . Ben Ali 's Constitutional Democratic Rally 's central committee was dissolved last week . All Cabinet members who belonged to the party have quit it . The party , known as the RCD , suffered a major blow earlier this week when Ghannouchi and Mebazaa submitted their resignations from the party , though they remained in the government , Tunis TV reported . His ouster followed weeks of protests over what discontented Tunisians said were poor living conditions , high unemployment , government corruption and repression . More than 100 people were killed in protests that followed over the past five weeks , the United Nations said .
A three-day mourning period ends Sunday . Interim PM Mohammed Ghannouchi says he will leave politics after elections . Small protests break out in the Tunisian capital .