By Libya Herald staff.
20 December 2014:
The acting Chargé d’Affaires at the Libya Embassy in Malta has accused the Maltese government of . . .[restrict]interfering in Libyan affairs by accepting the appointment by the Thinni government of former culture minister Habib Al-Amin as Libya’s ambassador to Malta. The Thinni government was illegal because of the 6 November decision by the Supreme Court which nullified the House of Representatives (HoR) and therefore all its decisions were illegal, Hussin Musrati said. He has been acting Chargé for since 20 November.
Speaking at a press conference this morning, Musrati said that the Supreme Court’s ruling had to be accepted.
“We respect the rule of law and once there has been a decision by the Supreme Court it has to be respected,” he insisted.
He said that he was shocked by Malta’s decision to accept Al-Amin, appointed last month. Malta must remain neutral in the Libyan crisis, he insisted. He had asked Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella for a meeting but had not yet had a response.
“The Maltese government has been for a very long time encouraging dialogue in Libya, which is what the Salvation Government is also doing… We have to respect the verdict of the judiciary because if the judiciary falls, the entire country will fall too…
“Respect for the rule of law is the only way that we can build a democracy.”
Although Habib Al-Amin had not taken up the post – he has been in Tunisia where a close member of his family was reported to have been having an operation – Musrati said that he had managed to take over the embassy’s bank accounts and vehicles. This was theft, he said, and a complaint had been lodged with the Maltese police.
Musrati said that Omar Al-Hassi’s “National Salvation Government” was in contact with several European and African states and would be recognised by them shortly as Libya’s legitimate government. It was in control of much of the country, from Sidra to the Tunisian border, and the south.
The Central Bank of Libya was also working with Hassi’s government, he said.
Saddek Elkaber, sacked as the Central Bank’s governor by the HoR but still recognised by the Hassi administration, is now largely based in Malta.
(with thanks to The Times of Malta) [/restrict]
