TRIPOLI (AFP)
Libya’s newly elected Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagur on Wednesday submitted to the government a proposed cabinet line-up that excludes the country’s leading liberal coalition, a spokesman said.
“This list was presented today to the General National Congress,” said Omar Humeidan of the 200-member ruling assembly.
The congress would hold an extraordinary meeting on Thursday to vote on each minister, and Abu Shagur would be able to propose alternatives until Sunday if any of his choices are rejected.
The nominated defence minister is Abdelsalam al-Obeidi, an army general serving in the operations room of the eastern city of Benghazi, where the population has taken a strong stance against militias comprising former rebels.
The position had been held by Osama Jweili, a former rebel commander.
Omar al-Aswad was proposed as interior minister, while the post of foreign minister remained blank on the list.
Several members of outgoing Prime Minister Abdel Rahman al-Kib’s cabinet are part of the line-up, including a deputy prime minister and the education minister.
Many names on the list are unknown and the final make-up of the 29-member cabinet could still change. There is only one woman, Sumeya Bilatif, the proposed social affairs minister.
Meanwhile, the liberal National Forces Alliance said in a statement that “although it will not participate in the next government, it supports the government of Abu Shagur.”
It also accepted the resignation of its secretary general, Faisal al-Krekshi, who was nominated as health minister.
On Tuesday, the party had published an open letter to Abu Shagur, demanding nine ministries and the inclusion of its programme in the next government. The two parties met but the negotiations clearly failed.
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