Libya’s PM, MPs head to Sert for vote of confidence for new unity government headed by Al-Dabaib
SMA NEWS – Tripoli
Libya’s parliament headed to Sirte on Monday ahead of a vote on a new interim unity government for the divided country, a crucial step toward December elections and stability after a decade of violent turmoil.
Prime minister-designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and 80 members of parliament travelled to Sirte – where the UN-recognized government is based – to place their vote of confidence in the new government, Italian state agency Agenzia Nova reported.
Prime minister-designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibah was elected in February at a UN-sponsored dialogue attended by a cross section of Libyans to steer the country toward the scheduled December 24 polls.
Dbeibah, a billionaire businessman, submitted his 33-member cabinet line-up to parliament for approval last week, without publicly revealing any names.
If approved, it would replace the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, and the eastern-based administration backed by strongman Khalifa Haftar.
An interim three-member presidency council, selected alongside prime minister Dbeibah last month, is to head the new unity administration.
His interim government faces the daunting challenge of addressing the grievances of Libyans, from a dire economic crisis and soaring unemployment to crippling inflation and retched public services.
Last week a group of about 10 observers from the United Nations flew into the capital Tripoli to monitor a cease-fire between the Libya’s two rival armed factions.
The unarmed observer team is also tasked with verifying the departure of thousands of mercenaries and foreign fighters who have been deployed in the oil-rich North African country and have so far shown no sign of leaving.
Libya was thrown into years of violent turmoil after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and led to the killing of long-time dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
The country has been split between the UN-recognized Government of National Accord, based in the capital and backed by Turkey, and an administration in the east supported by strongman Kalifa Haftar, with the backing of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia.
The two sides reached a cease-fire in October, and UN-led talks since resulted in a new temporary administration elected in February, led by interim prime minister-designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
