Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah escaped unharmed from an assassination attempt when unidentified militants fired bullets on his car in the capital Tripoli early on Thursday, reported Reuters.
According to the Al Arabiya TV, the incident took place when Dbeibah was returning home in his car, and shots were fired from another vehicle, hinting at a clear assassination attempt. As per the report, the attackers fled and the incident has been referred for investigation.
The assassination attempt happened just a day after Dbeibah said he will ignore a vote scheduled by the eastern-based parliament on Thursday to replace him. He said that he would only hand over power after an election. He also called for street protests to denounce the appointment of a new transitional government.
Dbeibah was appointed as the Libyan prime minister in March last year as part of an UN-led political process. His Government of National Unity (GNU) was meant to steer the deeply divided country toward national reconciliation and lead it through an election in December. But, the election process fell apart amid disputes over the rules, such as the legitimacy of Dbeibah’s own candidacy for president after he pledged not to run.
The Libyan lawmakers have argued that the mandate of Dbeibah’s government ended on Dec 24. The parliament, which mostly backed eastern forces during the civil war, has already declared the GNU invalid and scheduled a vote on Thursday to name a new prime minister, either former Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga or Minister-Counsellor Khalid al-Baibas, to form another government.
The Libyan election commission has announced that there will be no elections this year as it needs at least eight months to prepare for a new vote.
The UN’s Libya adviser and Western countries have said they would continue to recognize the GNU and have urged Libyan political institutions to instead focus on holding elections.
