Tunisian president takes rest due to illness:TAP

Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:07pm GMT

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TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, 73, will rest for five days after contracting a throat illness, the north African country's official news agency TAP said on Monday.

Ben Ali's personal physician advised him to take "a period of five days' rest after an acute inflammation of the pharynx," TAP cited a presidency spokesman as saying.

Spain's King Juan Carlos was due to visit Tunisia on Tuesday but his trip has been cancelled, a diplomatic source said.

Ben Ali, who has been in power for 22 years, won a fifth term in office last month with 89.62 percent of the vote.

The country of 10 million is a staunch ally of the West in its fight against Islamic extremism.

<p>Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali casts his ballot at a polling station in Tunis October 25, 2009. REUTERS/Presidential Handout</p>

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