By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 17 March 2014:
Abdullah Al-Thinni, the current “caretaker” Prime Minister is likely to remain in post until the end . . .[restrict]of term of the General National Congress (GNC), one Congressman told the Libya Herald today.
“There are a lot of candidates for Prime Minister but because of arguments between GNC members it is not easy to agree on any one person,” the Congressman said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “I think Thinni will remain in this position for a long time.”
Thinni was sworn in as a “caretaker” Prime Minister last week after the GNC passed a vote of no-confidence on former Prime Minister Ali Zeidan.
Doubts still hang over the vote that ousted Zeidan, with opponents calling into question the legality of the vote.
Zeidan himself said, in a televised interview on Saturday, that the vote of no-confidence was illegal, saying that the required quorum to dismiss him was not reached. Only 113 Congress members voted in the sitting, he said, with extra votes added later.
GNC spokesperson Omar Hemeidan, however, told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the vote was legal and had been recorded. He called Zeidan’s comments on TV inappropriate for a former Prime Minister.
“If Zeidan has any doubts about the decision, he can appeal it in front of the Supreme Constitutional Court,” said Hemeidan. “If he does not recognise the decision he should follow the legal path instead of talking through the media”.
Some members of Congress themselves are also in disagreement over the vote.
Congressman Ibrahim Abdulaziz Sahad told the Libya Herald that he had attended the sitting and confirmed that 121 GNC members voted to withdraw confidence in Zeidan. Another three members who were outside the hall then cast their votes, he said, taking the number up to 124.
“I personally voted to withdraw confidence in Zeidan and the votes were counted by Congress employees,” Sahad said. “The vote was 100 percent legal and correct.”
However, two Congresswomen, Asma Sariba and Zainab Haroun Al-Targhi, said that thirteen members of the GNC would appeal the vote against Zeidan which, they said, was “illegal” and “contrary to the constitutional declaration.”
“The presidency of the Congress knew very well that they would not reach the quorum to sack Zeidan so they integrated four decisions in one vote which was illegal,” Sairba said.
One of these was postponed but, along with the withdrawal of confidence in Zeidan, votes were counted on the adoption of the February Committee’s proposal and the adoption of a bill for the budget of the new municipalities.
A group of thirteen members of Congress had released a statement denouncing the voting process, she said. It was not carried out in accordance with the international regulations where every member should stand up and say “for” or “against,” she said. Instead, the vote was carried out with a show of hands by seated GNC members.
The group has asked Congress to show video footage from the vote, for the sake of transparency and to prove to all Libyans that the process was legal and correct.
There had been no response from Congress so far, she added. [/restrict]
