Libya’s parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR), called yesterday on all members to attend a formal session next Monday 9 May at its Tobruk headquarters.
An overview of Libya’s current political crisis
It will be recalled that Libya continues to experience a political crisis with two pretenders to the post of Prime Minister.
The current incumbent is Caretaker Prime Minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba who lost an HoR vote of confidence in September 2021. He is based in the seat of Libyan power: the Libyan capital Tripoli.
His adversary for the post is Fathi Bashagha, former Interior Minister under the previous Faiez Serraj administration. Bashagha was selected by the HoR in March and is backed by HoR Speaker Ageela Saleh and eastern military commander Khalifa Hafter.
Bashagha has been unable since to physically enter Tripoli to take up his post. Aldabaiba is refusing to give up his post. He sees the selection of Bashagha by the HoR as procedurally incorrect. He and his aligned militias in western Libya are preventing Bashagha from entering Tripoli.
Both men claim they do not want military confrontation. Bashagha has promised he will not use force to gain power. He has claimed on several occasions he will enter Tripoli ‘‘soon’’ and ‘‘peacefully’’. He has failed to do so. Libya continues in political limbo.
So called ‘‘locals’’ have since forcibly shutdown Libya’s oil production in several oilfields and ports in an effort to weaken Aldabaiba and his government in Tripoli. It is widely believed that they were instructed to do so by Hafter.
Meanwhile, the HoR and High State Council have met in Cairo under the auspices of the United Nations in an effort to end the political stalemate by organising constitutionally based elections. There has been no positive outcome so far from the Cairo talks.
New Bashagha-led government to take constitutional oath on Thursday – LibyaHerald
Legality of HoR confidence vote in Bashagha government questioned – LibyaHerald
