The Libyan Parliament-designated Deputy Prime Minister, Ali Al-Qatrani held a cabinet meeting in Benghazi. This was attended by the ministers of finance, planning, higher education, electricity, water resources, and agriculture.
They discussed the announcement by Prime Minister-designate, Fathi Bashagha that the government will start its work from Sirte as a temporary headquarters. This is until the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli is successfully dissolved.
Al-Qatrani and the ministers affirmed that the “intransigence of the GNU will not stand in the way of the government exercising its duties from anywhere else temporarily.”
They stated that the government is fully prepared to work from Sirte, to “provide all services to citizen’s who yearn for a decent living in a country where rights are protected by a single government, that represents everyone. A government with a goal to represent the national will that will bring all Libyans together.”
Libya is currently facing a political crisis after the Libyan Parliament swore in Bashagha to lead a new interim government in February. MP’s argued that incumbent PM, Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba’s mandate expired when elections failed to take place in December.
Dbaiba has since refused to cede power, and warned that the appointment of a new government could lead to war and chaos in the country. He renewed his pledge to only hand power over to an elected government.