By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 22 February 2016:
The House of Representatives (HoR) is scheduled to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, on the proposed national . . .[restrict]unity government, according to HoR spokesman Faraj Buhashem.
He made the announcement after the HoR again failed to meet today. Following the presentation of the new government on Saturday by Faiez Serraj, the head of the Presidency Council, it was due to continue its deliberations yesterday but the session was postponed till today, and then again postponed this morning amid a growing sense that both those backing the government and those opposed were buying time to try and rally others to their sides.
The opponents are buoyed up by the series of apparent Hafter victories in Benghazi and Ajdabiya which they feel alters the political dynamic. Supporters are concerned that not enough members have turned up so far for a quorum to approve the government.
However, according to Buhashem, all that is needed at present is a simple majority. That is because for the moment the HoR is merely expressing its approval (or disapproval) of the proposed government. It is not actually appointing it as yet. That would come with a vote to integrate the Libyan Political Agreement into the 2011 Constitutional Declaration.
It would require a two-thirds majority.
There is growing pessimism as to whether the HoR will vote and approve on the proposal as its stands. Buhashem himself stated that there were wide differences of opinion within the House over it and that yet another new government list may have to be drawn up.
It is thought that the most likely scenario, if and when the members vote, will be separate votes on each one of the cabinet members. If that happens, a some ministers are likely to be rejected. If, on the other hand, there is just one vote, there are widespread fears that the Serraj proposal will fall.
A great deal of the opposition is now focussed on the size of the presidency council, with calls that it has already shown that it is too big to work and has to be reduced from nine to three. [/restrict]
