Libyan Parliament Suspends PM-designate Fathi Bashagha, Appoints Finance Minister as Interim PM
The Libyan House of Representatives has suspended its prime minister-designate, Fathi Bashagha, a little over a year after his appointment, the parliament’s spokesman, Abdullah Blehig, announced on Tuesday. The reasons behind the decision remain undisclosed, but Blehig noted that the parliament had reviewed the performance of Bashagha’s government during Tuesday’s session.
Finance Minister Osama Hammad has been assigned the additional role of acting prime minister. The move marks yet another twist in Libya’s efforts to stabilize its government and reach a democratic transition since the fall of Moammar Gadhafi’s regime in 2011.
In February 2022, Bashagha, the former interior minister, was appointed to replace Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. However, Dbeibah declined to cede power, insisting he would only step down for an elected government.
The political impasse follows the failure to hold general elections in December 2021 due to disagreements over election laws among Libyan parties. Despite the setbacks, Dbeibah assured earlier this year that his government was prepared to hold general elections in 2023.
