By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 10 October 2013, 12:23pm:
Only minutes before it was first reported that prime minister Ali Zeidan has been released . . .[restrict]by his abductors, four of his ministers stood together, some holding hands while a brief statement was read by Deputy Prime Minister Sadiq Abdulkarim who is also acting Interior Minister.
Speaking to TV cameras at the Electricity Ministry, he was flanked by the Ministers of Electricity, Ali Mohammed Muhairiq, Justice Salah Bashir Al-Marghani and Islamic Affairs Abdulsalam Mohammed Abusaad, as well as junior members of the government. Abdulkarim condemned the kidnapping as an attack on Libya and its people.
He said however that he wanted to send a message to all diplomats that security in the country was under control and that they would be protected like every Libyan citizen. He said that negotiations with the abductors were going on constantly and that they were in contact with GNC president Nuri Abu Sahmain as well as “local and international organisations”.
Soon after Zeidan has been seized in the Corinthia hotel in the small hours of this morning, ministers in his government were reported to have been gathered together and were under the protection of the army.
During the four-minute statement, the neatly turned-out ministerial team looked tired and anxious but Abdulkarim spoke with notable assurance. He refused to take any questions at the end. [/restrict]
