Protesters stormed the headquarters of Tunisia’s ruling Islamist party after a leading opposition politician was gunned down in front of his wife and children.  It’s the second time a secular opposition leader has been murdered in Tunisia this year.

Mohammed Brahmi was shot 11 times in front of his wife and daughter by men who escaped on a motorbike.  His supporters marched and called for an end to islamist rule.  And Brahmi's family are clear on who they believe is responsible; they are blaming the North African nation's ruling Nahda party.

Brahmi's son, Adnen, told a private radio station, “Nahda is responsible for the murder of my father,” an accusation repeated by the victim’s sister and widow.

Mohammed Brahmi belonged to the Leftist, secular, Arab nationalist Popular Front party.  The leader of that party, Chokri Belaid, was killed in a similar way on 6 February 2013.  His death ignited the worst unrest in Tunisia since President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fell in 2011, an event acknowledged as the beginning of the “Arab Spring”.  As it is, Tunisia's largest unions are calling for strikes on Friday because of the latest assassination.

Nahda was quick to issue a statement that condemned “this cowardly and despicable crime” and called for the quick arrest of those responsible.

But civil rights groups are warning that the nation's democratic transition was in danger because of the ruling party’s failure to reign in militant Islamists.