By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 4 June 2013:
Rumours that the General National Congress decided today to replace Chief of Staff Major-General Yousef Mangoush are . . .[restrict]not true according to members of the legislature.
“It’s just a rumour,” Defence Committee member Mohamed Kelani told the Libya Herald. There had been no vote. He said that a general vote to choose a new Chief of Staff would probably take place next week. There were some 40 nominees, he stated.
Reports too that the Committee had decided to exclude Mangoush from the list of nominees and that the front runner was Brigadier Massoud Arhumah Rajbani were not true either, said Kelani, adding that Rajbani was not even on the list.
Benghazi Congressman Ahmad Langhi thought a general vote would probably be in a fortnight’s time.
Seven members of the Defense Committee voted on 7 May in favour of replacing Mangoush saying he was unable to rebuild the Libyans army. At the time, they gave a month for the submission of candidates’ applications, stating that no one should have been involved in the 1969 coup, be less than 35 years of age , or a member of any political parties or blocks.
The deadline ends on Friday. After that the committee has to evaluate who is qualified and whether they met the Political Isolation Law requirements.
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