By Libya Herald staff.
Tobruk, 17 September 2014:
The House of Representative has rejected the Prime Minister’s proposed cabinet reshuffle and told him . . .[restrict]to come up with a new, reduced “crisis government” within three days. According to Sidra member, Saleh Fhaima, if he does not the HoR will appoint a different prime minister.
Thinni’s proposals are said to have included current Culture Minister Habib Al-Amin, Human Rights activist Farida Allaghi as Foreign Minister and Ashour Shuail returning as Interior Minister as well as first Deputy Prime Minister.
HoR members say they are concerned about the size of the cabinet and ministers having more than one portfolio. Thinni’s list is reported have 16 members. The HoR wants it to have no more than ten at most.
These, reportedly, would be a deputy prime minister; interior; foreign affairs, defence; local government; health; education; energy; economy, planning and finance; and public works. The latter would include housing and utilities, industry, agriculture, water resources, social affairs and labour.
As one HoR representative put it, in the present situation, Libya does not need ministers of agriculture, or tourism or industry or the like.
Members also said they want the crisis cabinet to contain “fresh faces”. Again, if Thinni insisted on keeping members of the present team, they would look for someone else as premier, the Libya Herald was told
The other demand is that no cabinet member, including the Prime Minister, have two posts. Thinni was proposing to retain the Ministry of Defence.
The HoR’s demands increase the pressure on Thinni who is already having to deal with demands from various tribes and towns that they are represented in the government.
The cabinet was to have been unveiled on Sunday, then on Monday and then again today.
No minister of oil is mentioned in the HoR’s list nor was one mentioned in Thinni’s proposals. There appears to be agreement that oil becomes completely the remit of the National Oil Corporation. [/restrict]
