By Libya Herald staff.
Tobruk, 3 September 2014:
Reports that House of Representatives has dismissed Saddek Elkaber as governor of the Central Bank . . .[restrict]of Libya and appointed on a temporary basis his deputy Ali Salem Hibri are untrue, the Libya Herald has been told by an HoR source.
Elkaber – along with Grand Mufti Sadik Al-Ghariani – was summoned at the beginning of the week to Tobruk for questioning by the HoR. Neither have gone despite a HoR warning that if they did not they would be sacked. However, Elkaber, now based in Malta, is said to have asked Hibri, who has been in Tobruk for some weeks, to speak on his behalf. The latter has been twice questioned by the House.
According to an HoR member, there is no desire for a standoff between the House and the Central Bank, in particular because of concerns it could result in an assets freeze by the governments of those countries where Libyan funds are being held.
The HoR, the member said, was still discussing how the bank should be run and how to fund budget shortages.
British Ambassador Michael Aron and UK Special Representative for Libya Jonathan Powell who were in Torbuk this week with for talks with both the government and parliament, were scheduled to meet Elkabir in Malta today. According to the HoR member, they were asked to “mediate” with him. The Malta meeting, however, is reported to have been arranged before both men went to Tobruk. [/restrict]
