GUY RAZ, Host: Eleanor Beardsley has a story from the Tunisian capital of Tunis.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Some were afraid to talk about it, but not 22-year-old Hishem Benyaghem.</s>HISHEM BENYAGHEM: (French spoken)</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: I'm very optimistic, he said. This is going to be great for Tunisia. Just fantastic.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Claire Spencer, an expert on the Middle East, says that one incident galvanized the population's growing anger.</s>CLAIRE SPENCER: When the corruption is too flagrant and the responses are too heavy handed, people suddenly say, this is beyond what I and my personal dignity can withstand.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Moncef Marzouki is the head of a banned opposition party. He's been living in France for the last decade, but he's coming home to run for office.</s>MONCEF MARZOUKI: (Through translator) I am so proud the Tunisian people were able to defeat a dictator. We cannot let anyone steal this revolution from the Tunisian people.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Tunis.
A new interim president was sworn into office in Tunisia on Saturday, as looting and protests raged in the streets. It was the second change of power in less than 24 hours.