By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 8 May 2013:
At this evening’s press conference, looking tired and downbeat, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, saluted the efforts . . .[restrict]by some revolutionaries (thuwar) to solve the “issues”, referring to their decision to withdraw their armed barricades of numerous Ministries that had taken place over the last week.
Late last night and early this morning, locals had confronted the armed militias who had surrounded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a week. The armed militias had today left the other ministries that they had surrounded too.
It is not clear if it is a full withdrawal or a strategic one in the face of locals threatening violence.
Zeidan stressed at the press conference that the concerns of the thuwar are his concerns too.
Speaking in a low voice and pausing slightly more than normal Zeidan admitted that he often had long meetings and worked 18 and 20 hour days
“I salute those who withdrew and tried to fix what had happened and hope they fully withdraw soon”, hinting that the withdrawal may not be full or permanent.
Zeidan also sent a “great thanks” to the NGOs who assured their solidarity and support for the government, the state and legitimacy.
“I salute all the regions, cities and tribes who expressed their support for legitimacy and the refusal of the use of force”, Zeidan added.
The Prime Minister reported that he had just finished a cabinet meeting which was attended in parts by the Second Deputy Head of the GNC Saleh Makhzoum and the head of the GNC Finance Committee.
At the meeting Zeidan said that the budget and its activation and the implementation of projects in housing and infrastructure were discussed.
“The current situation” and the “security situation” as well as the “occupation by the thuwar (revolutionaries) of the Ministries” were also discussed at the cabinet meeting, Zeidan reported. [/restrict]
