For decades Libya has been war wrecked following the ousting and killing of former leader Muammar Ghadaffi. But this year, Libya seems to be on the correct path to recovery. Libyan lawmakers this week confirmed a newly appointed interim unity government. Libya hasn’t had a ruling government since the years of Ghadaffi.
Voting on the endorsement of the interim unity government
Many Libyans couldn’t hide their joy with the announcement of the new government. Many believe the new government will unify the formerly divided Libya. The interim government will try and lead the nation until December. As the end of the year approaches, the new government will shepherd Libya through elections.
This week the Libyan lawmakers gathered in parliament to take part in a voting session. The vote took place amid international pressure on Libya`s stakeholders. Some stakeholders reported intense pressure from external international forces to support the roadmap brokered in a U.N.-led process. When the voting session came to an end, 132 lawmakers approved Prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. The government would replace the two rival administrations in Libya. Before the lawmakers decided, Libya had two conflicting administrations-one based in the countries east and another in the west. The two had been ruling Libya for years, but each side looked to take over control of Libya under one administration.
But U.N.-led talks led to a neutral government appointment, which would have helped put a stop to the attacks in Libya. During the discussions, Dbeibah, an influential businessman from the western city of Misrata, was appointed to lead the interim government’s executive branch. The interim government would also include a three-member Presidential Council chaired by Mohammed Younes Menfi, a Libyan diplomat from the country`s east.
Holding of Elections on December 24th
Following his confirmation, Dbeibah pledged to hold parliamentary and presidential elections on Dec 24. The newly elected prime minister also vowed to respect the election date to avoid having repeated war and infighting in Libya.
The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the appointment of the interim government in Libya. Guterres said the new government’s endorsement was an important step towards restoring stability, prosperity, security, and unity in Libya. ON THE OTHER HAND, the U.N spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Libya had received a genuine opportunity to move forward toward reconciliation and restore its sovereignty fully.
Abdul Hamid Dbeibah`s cabinet includes 33 ministers and two deputy prime ministers. The two deputy prime ministers represent Libya`s different geographic areas and social segments. Dbeibah did not name a defense minister as he expects to run the ministry himself. The Prime minister appointed Najla Mangoush as foreign minister, the first woman to lead the ministry in modern history.
As Libya eyes having a successful government like it once had in the past. But with the endorsement of a new government comes numerous challenges. The interim government faces mainly the dismantling of numerous heavily armed local militias and at least 20,000 mercenaries and foreign fighters implicated in Libya`s chaos.
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