Libya’s eastern-based parliament on Monday said it will appoint a new prime minister this week who will head the transitional government, reported Reuters.
The announcement comes more than a month after the country failed to hold its first presidential election over disputes between rival factions on laws governing the elections and controversial presidential hopefuls.
Libya’s former Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga and Minister-Counsellor Khalid Al Baibas have submitted their bids to replace Prime Minister Dbeibah, who took power a year ago with a mandate to lead Libya to December elections.
Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh said the voting to appoint the new interim prime minister will be held on Thursday after consultations with the High Council of State, an advisory body based in Tripoli.
The presidential vote, which was originally scheduled for December 24, was postponed due to disputes between rival factions on laws governing the elections and a controversial presidential candidate list. Lawmakers have argued that the mandate of Dbeibah’s government ended on December 24.
Dbeibah, on the other hand, wants to remain in power until “real elections” take place. He has accused speaker Saleh of fuelling the division in the country. The prime minister also called for the drafting of a new constitution before heading to elections.
The Libyan government’s failure to hold elections has been a major blow to international efforts to end a decade of chaos in the oil-rich Mediterranean nation.
The parliament’s decision to appoint a new government is a setback to the United Nations mission in the country, which advocates for rescheduling the presidential vote as early as June.
The move also increases concerns that the country could once again slide into armed conflict. Western governments have urged that Libya’s current government remain in place until the vote is held to avoid chaos and confusion in the country.
