Tripoli, 18 June 2013:
The General National Congress (GNC) has set next Tuesday 25th June as the date for the election of its . . .[restrict]new head.
The GNCs was due to vote to choose a new president to replace Mohamed Magarief last Sunday 16th June. However, this was postponed following a request from a dozen Congress members from Benghazi, who were still in Benghazi in the aftermath of the security crisis there.
According to some Congress members who did not want to be identified, the likelihood is that the next president “will be from the East”. The reason given is the need to reassure eastern Libya that it is valued and appreciated. The current security crisis in Benghazi is seen to have reinforced this view.
The head of the Steering Committee of Mahmoud Jibril’s National Forces Alliance, Abdulmajid Mleqta, was reported by the Solidarity news agency stating that the Alliance will not be putting a candidate up for the GNC leadership and that they would support a candidate from the East to defuse the federalism issue.
Names said to be in the running are mostly from Eastern Libya and are: Mousa Faraj Al-Zway from Ajdabiya, Sherif El-Wafi from Marj, Fawzi Al-Aghab from Shahat and Abdulmonem Wahaishi from Benghazi.
The only non-Eastern members being suggested are the former chairman of Congress’ Defence Committee, Jumaa Sayah, who represents Annasiriyah, south of Tripoli and Nouri Ali Mohamed Abu Sahmain from Zuara.
Mousa Faraj Al-Zway is said to be in the forefront. If he is chosen it will mean two Congressional presidents in a row from Ajdabiya. He is an independent for the town. Mohamed Magarief was elected on the party list for it.
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