By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 24 November 2013:
The GNC today elected independent congressman for Marj, Ezzidine Mohammed Al-Awami as its new first deputy . . .[restrict]president, to replace Juma Ateega, who resigned in July for personal reasons.
Awami took his first session of congress tonight.
In a televised sitting this morning, four candidates were nominated for the first deputy’s job. Awami won 85 votes in the first round ahead Al-Wafa bloc’s Awad Abdul Sadeq, who sits for the Oases, with 56 votes. Mohamed Younis Bashir with 25 votes and Ali Refai Saad Zubi with five votes were eliminated.
In the run-off, Awami picked up the support of 99 of the 172 congress members who voted, while Abdulsadiq received 71 votes. Two ballot papers were ruled invalid.
Of the 194 congress members entitled to vote, 22 were absent from the session.
[/restrict]