Libya’s parliament voted to remove the prime minister who heads the divided nation’s eastern government, injecting a fresh dose of intrigue and uncertainty into the OPEC member’s chaotic political scene. A majority of lawmakers based in the country’s east approved removing Fathi Bashagha from office and referring him for investigation, parliament spokesman Abdulla Belheiq said Tuesday in a text message. Belheiq didn’t elaborate on the reasons for Bashagha’s removal or what prompted the decision to refer him for investigation. Home to Africa’s largest oil reserves, Libya has lurched from one crisis to the next since the 2011 civil war and overthrow of long-time strongman Moammar Al Qaddafi. Parliament’s step removes a sometime-ally of eastern-based military chief Khalifa Haftar, who fought a 2019-2020 campaign to seize the capital from a previous government and tried to run for president in 2021.

Libya's parliament, in the east of the divided country, on Tuesday suspended Fathi Bashagha as head of an administration challenging the authority of the country's western-based prime minister. Former Libyan prime minister Fathi Bashagha(Reuters)Parliament also announced an investigation into Bashagha. The chamber, backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar, had picked Bashagha in February last year to lead a government to replace that of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who sits in Tripoli. "The House of Representatives voted unanimously to suspend the chief of government Fathi Bashagha and open an investigation against him," said the House spokesman Abdullah Bliheg after a closed-door meeting in Benghazi. Deputies assigned the administration's finance minister, Oussama Hamad, to act as prime minister while the investigation takes place, Bliheg said.

Khaled Al-Mishri, chairman of Libya’s High Council of State, criticized the parliament’s decision on Tuesday to to replace Fathi Bashagha as prime minister, slamming the move as a “political absurdity” in a statement via Twitter. The House of Representatives voted to oust Bashagha after he failed to take office in Tripoli where the incumbent Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh has refused to cede power. Al-Mishri, whose council has been in talks with the parliament to establish a legal framework for holding the long-delayed national elections, described today’s vote as “suspicious”. “The House of Representatives continues its political absurdity,” he said via Twitter. He wrote to the parliament earlier on Tuesday saying he was handing his duties over to his deputy Ali Qatrani, without saying whether or when he planned to resume them.

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The 6+6 committee, formed jointly by Libya’s House of Representative and High Council for the preparation of electoral laws, will meet in Morocco within a week to continue talks on drafting legislations governing the national elections planned at the end of this year, according to a report by Italian news agency Nova. The committee held its first meeting on April 5th at the seat of Parliament in the city of Tripoli, while a second meeting was also held in Libya at the beginning of May. During the last meeting, there was “a convergence of views among the members of the committee”, said the official spokesman of the House of Representatives, Abdullah Blihaq, adding that a “working mechanism was also agreed upon”.

BENGHAZI, Libya: One of Libya’s rival administrations voted on Tuesday to suspend its prime minister, who has been placed under investigation, the parliament’s spokesperson said. Fathi Bashagha was the prime minister of Libya’s eastern-based parliament, known as the House of Representatives, which operates in Tobruk. The House of Representatives finance minister, Osama Hamada, has taken over Bashagha’s duties, spokesperson Abdullah Belhaiq said. Bashagha, a former interior minister and air force pilot, was appointed prime minister by the House of Representatives in February 2022. Libya’s western government is based in the capital Tripoli and is headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

Libyan media said that the Libyan Parliament voted, today, unanimously to no confidence in the Libyan Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, and to assign Finance Minister Osama Hammad to run the government’s business. It should be noted that Bashagha assigned, yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Al-Qatrani, the tasks of running the Council of Ministers of the Libyan government, while delegating to him all the powers granted to the Prime Minister. This came in a letter addressed by the Libyan Prime Minister to the Presidency of the House of Representatives and members of the House of Representatives.

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) -Libya's eastern-based parliament voted on Tuesday to replace Fathi Bashagha as prime minister, its spokesperson said, after he failed to take office in Tripoli where the incumbent Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah has refused to cede power. The parliament assigned Bashagha's finance minister Osama Hamad to take over his duties, parliament spokesperson Abdullah Belhaiq said, part of an apparent new push to oust Dbeibah and install a new government in Tripoli. Libya has had little peace since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, and it split in 2014 between warring eastern and western factions, though major fighting has been paused since a ceasefire in 2020. Diplomacy now is focused on bringing the parliament and another legislative body, the High State Council, to agree on rules that would allow an election to take place. The High State Council, which never recognised the appointment of Bashagha, called the parliament's move to replace him a "political absurdity" in a statement.

CAIRO – 16 May 2023: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry received Tuesday Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanian Expatriates Salem Ould Marzouk lauding the continuous growth of bilateral relations. Shokry said he looked forward to holding the higher joint committee soon, and that would be chaired by both ministers. He expressed Egypt's keenness on bolstering trade exchange, and investment in the sectors of maritime fishing, agriculture, livestock, and pharmaceuticals. He also noted Egypt's readiness to provide Mauritania with technical support in all vital sectors, including industry, healthcare, and education. The two ministers equally conferred over regional issues of mutual concern, mainly the crises of Sudan, Libya, and Syria, agreeing on working closely to push forward joint cooperation.

Syria ended over a decade of exile from the Arab League on Monday as its officials took part in a preparatory session ahead of Friday's summit in Saudi Arabia. "I... take this opportunity to welcome the Syrian Arab Republic to the League of Arab States," Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan told the meeting, which was broadcast live by state TV channel Al Ekhbariya. "There are many challenges that we must discuss and mobilize to confront, including the Arab-Israeli conflict," Syria's official news agency SANA quoted Mekdad as saying. The United Arab Emirates re-established ties with Syria in 2018 and has been leading the recent charge to reintegrate Damascus. Qatar said this month it would not normalize relations with Assad's government but also noted this would not be "an obstacle" to Arab League reintegration.

The letter, dated February 13, 2023, included a request for approval to provide 700,000 live rams in time for the Feast (Eid) of Sacrifice. Commenting on the matter, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy and Trade, Fawzi Wadi, told the Libya Herald that his ministry studied all aspects related to the import of Eid sacrifices. This included the target countries for importing sheep, the specifications that are required to be available in them, and the mechanisms of supply through companies specialized in importing livestock. These would cover a large part of the Libyan market’s need of more than one million sacrifices, which the locally reared sheep would have a role in covering with about 300,000 heads. Wadi said there is a need for the facilitation of several banking procedures to open documentary credits for livestock breeders.

A delegation from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs arrived in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, yesterday to discuss arrangements for the reopening of Riyadh’s embassy, which has been closed since 2014. The Saudi delegation arrived at Mitiga Airport and was headed by the Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Director General of the General Administration for Arab and African Countries Affairs, Abdullah Bin Fahd Al-Shammari. The Saudi delegation was received by the Director of the Administrative and Financial Affairs Department, Rashid Abu Ghafah, and Director of the Arab Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Khalifa Al-Qaidi, according to a statement by the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Al-Qaidi affirmed the depth of the bilateral relations between the two countries, and the keenness of the Government of National Unity to strengthen the relations and push them to broader horizons in order to achieve common interests between them. In May 2014, Saudi Arabia closed its embassy and consulate in Tripoli and evacuated its diplomatic mission as a result of the security conditions in the country.

The Netherlands officially opened ‘‘a new workspace’’ at its embassy in Tajura, Tripoli today. Many are unaware of their presence in this high-security compound shared by the EU and the German embassy. Having, like many other states, left their embassy, in their case in 2014, the Dutch relocated here in 2017. The Dutch embassy said their renewed presence reflects a commitment to promoting peace and stability in Libya. This expansion enhances our diplomatic relations and cooperation.’’A new Dutch ambassador will take over duties this week.

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Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush arrived in Oman on Sunday evening for a two-day visit, according to a statement by the Omani foreign ministry. On Monday, Mangoush held talks with Sultan Mohammed Al Nu’amani, Minister of the Royal Office, according to a report by the Times of Oman. During the meeting, Mangoush reportedly “expressed her appreciation for the march of relations between Oman and Libya,” as per Times of Oman. “She also lauded the efforts and roles of the Sultanate of Oman in tackling regional and international issues. Moreover, she valued Oman’s backing of efforts to establish peace.”