By Libya Herald reporters.
Tripoli and Benghazi, 5 March 2017:
Since the start of the Benghazi Defence Brigades assault on the oil crescent terminals, the number of House of Representatives members to come out against the Libyan Political Agreement has more than doubled.
Among the original rejectionists, there was an enduring suspicion of the Presidency Council and Government of National Accord, with the LPA considered to be weighted against the powers of parliament. The BDB assault of Sidra and Ras Lanuf is seen as backed by the PC, despite Faiez Serraj’s denials. This was swelled anti-LPA feeling. There is also genuine despair that Libya’s oil and gas infrastructure is once again “in play” at a time when production had recovered to 700,000 bpd.
HoR spokesman Abdullah Bulaihak this evening said that the list of dissenters had grown from 34 to 73 out of the nominal 200 members. They include the parliament’s second deputy president Ahmed Arhuma and the heads of three committees, Ramadan Shambesh (constitution and legislature), Idris Adam Al-Magharbi (foreign affairs) and Isa Al-Araibi, (power and natural resources).
Though the majority of the representatives is from the east, they are now being joined by some colleagues from the south and west. These include Abdussalam Nassiyah (Zintan), Omar Ghrimid and Fahmi Al-Tuwati (Mizdah), Yousef Saidi (Sebha) long with from Tripoli Musab Abulgasim (Hay Andulas), Tariq Al-Ashtar (Abu Sleem) and Ali Al-Tikbali (central Tripoli).
