Libyan PM-designate in Sirte for unity gov’t vote

TRIPOLI, Libya

Libya’s Prime Minister-designate Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh arrived in the coastal city of Sirte on Monday to present his unity government lineup to the House of Representatives (parliament), a government spokesman told Anadolu Agency.

“Dbeibeh arrived in Sirte to present his cabinet formation to the members of the House of Representatives during a parliamentary session that will be held later today,” Mohamed Hammouda said.

On Saturday, Dbeibeh proposed a unity government of 27 members, promising that the government will prioritize “improving services, unifying state institutions and ending the transitional period by holding elections”.

The parliament will debate giving confidence to Dbeibeh’s government during today’s session.

Muhammad al-Raidh, a member of the House of Representatives, told Anadolu Agency that some 90 deputies from both Tobruk and Tripoli assemblies already arrived in Sirte for Monday’s parliamentary session.

Al-Raidh said a group of 35 deputies are expected to arrive in the city from Tripoli shortly. “They will strongly endorse the new government,” he expected.

The total number of Libyan parliamentarians is 200.

On Feb. 5, Libya's rival political groups agreed during UN-mediated talks to form an interim unity government to lead the country to elections this December in which Dbeibeh was designated as prime minister and to form a new government.

Libyans hope that this step will end years of civil war between various Libyan factions that engulfed the country since the toppling of strongman Muammar Al-Qaddafi.

The war has been exacerbated when warlord Khalifa Haftar, supported by the UAE, Egypt, Russia and France among others, carried out a military onslaught to topple the Tripoli-based internationally recognized Libyan government for control of the North African country.

*Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara contributed to this report