Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 25 May 2014:
Congress has today been attempting to approve the cabinet proposed by Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Maetig and . . .[restrict]vote on the 2014 budget.
“The main two terms of the meeting today were to grant confidence to the newly-appointed prime minister Ahmed Omar Maetig’s new cabinet, then to vote on the budget because the government cannot work without the budget,” a GNC source told the Libya Herald.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that 96 members needed to attend for the session to be able to legally hold a vote. This number failed to turn up to this morning’s heavily-guarded GNC session but members are now said to be trying to push through a vote this evening.
Some members left after waiting for several hours. Congressman Taher Makni said he arrived at 12 noon at the King’s palace, where the session was taking place, and left after three hours when he felt it was clear a quorum could not be reached. “We waited almost there hours until we realised that the session couldn’t be done today” he told this newspaper.
More congress members reportedly arrived throughout the afternoon. Jalu GNC member Said Al-Khati said at 6pm today that they were close to reaching a quorum. The members who had remained were “determined to hold the sitting and pass a vote on the government and the budget,” he added.
According to GNC sources, Congress members received a text message saying: “The meeting is at 11 am and maybe it is the final meeting. Your attendance is important to complete our duties and emphasise the peaceful transfer of power.” [/restrict]
