Tunisia's ruling Islamist-led government on Saturday launched talks with the opposition aimed at implementing a roadmap to end a two-month political crisis.

The roadmap, drafted by mediators including the powerful UGTT trade union, calls for a one-month national dialogue to form a government of independents to replace a coalition led by the Ennahda movement.

Here are the main features of the roadmap:

At Saturday's launch of the hard-won national dialogue, Ennahda agreed to stand down at the end of October by signing the roadmap.

The talks begin in earnest next week during which the two camps must agree on the name of an independent prime minister.

The negotiators must form a non-partisan government within two weeks after which the Ennahda coalition line-up will formally step down.

The roadmap also calls for the adoption by the elected National Constituent Assembly (NCA) of a law that will drastically limit the possibility of censoring the future government lineup.

The negotiators must form a commission of experts to finalise the draft of a new constitution.

Over the next four weeks of consultations and negotiations, the NCA which was elected two years ago must adopt by two-thirds majority the new charter.

The negotiators and NCA members must within 15 days form an independent electoral body tasked with organising new legislative and presidential elections.

They will draft and adopt a new electoral law and set the dates for the new polls.

Tunisia's new rulers following the 2011 uprising that toppled veteran strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali have failed over the past two years to respect numerous timetables for a new constitution and polls.