By Libya Herald reporter.
Tobruk, 6 July 2015:
The House of Representatives (HoR) has appointed an administrator to oversee the move to Benghazi for . . .[restrict]when it finally happens. Political activist Yusif Haroun Shuhaibi has been asked to coordinate with the relevant authorities in Benghazi, including the city council, to facilitate the move.
Under a decision by the General National Congress (GNC), when it adopted its February Committee recommendations about setting up the HoR, the seat was to be in Libya’s second city. In the event, the representatives decided it was too dangrous and went to Tobruk instead, a move used by some of its opponents to claim that it was operating illegally. The GNC vote on the February Committee was subsequently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (although not the later vote to authorise elections to the HoR), but the decision has been rejected by HoR supporters and many in the international community as having been made under duress.
UNSMIL’s latest Draft to solve the Libyan crisis, accepted by the HoR’s negotiators, has stated where the government, the State Council and the Supreme Council for Local Administration should be sited but has stayed silent on the location of the HoR. The parliament, however, has stated on many occasions that it intends to relocate to Benghazi, even that it intends to use the city’s Tibesti Hotel as its base.
Yousif Haroun Shuhaibi is brother to Abdul Basit Haroun Shuhaibi, and said to be closely connected to former intelligence chief Salem Al-Hassi. Deepite his appintment, he has said that he had no budget so far for the Benghazi relocation. [/restrict]
