By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 16 June 2013:
The General National Congress this morning postponed today’s planned vote to choose a new president to . . .[restrict]replace Mohamed Magarief following a request from a dozen Congress members from Benghazi. They explained they were still in Benghazi dealing with the latest developments in the security crisis there.
According to some Congress members who did not want to be identified, the likelihood is that the next president “will be from the East”. The reason is the need to reassure eastern Libya that it is valued and appreciated. The current security crisis in Benghazi is seen to have reinforced that view.
The head of the Steering Committee of Mahmoud Jibril’s National Forces Alliance, Abdulmajid Mleqta, is reported by the Solidarity news agency, however, as publicly stating that the Alliance will support a candidate from the East to defuse the federalism issue.
Names said to be in the running are those of Mousa Faraj Al-Zway from Ajdabiya, Sherif El-Wafi from Marj, Fawzi Al-Aghab from Shahat and Abdulmonem Wahaishi from Benghazi. The only non-Eastern members being suggested are the former chairman of Congress’ Defence Committee, Jumaa Sayah, who represents Annasiriyah, south of Tripoli and Nouri Ali Mohamed Abu Sahmain from Zuara.
Mleqta has said that no member of the Alliance would be nominated for the post.
Mousa Faraj Al-Zway is said to be in the forefront. If he is chosen it will mean two Congressional presidents in a row from Ajdabiya. He is an independent for the town. Mohamed Magarief was elected on the party list for it.
At present it is not known if there will be a vote this week or whether it will be delayed till next Sunday.
Meanwhile it has emerged that there was a top-level emergency meeting in Congress late last night to discuss the Benghazi security situation. It involved Congress Second Deputy President Saleh Makhzoum, the Chairman of Defence Committee, Mohamed Kilani, the Chairman of National Security Committee, Abubakr Abdulqader, and the acting Chief of Staff, Major-General Salem Al-Gnaidy. [/restrict]
