Mustafa Sanalla, Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) chief speaks to the media before the OPEC 14th Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2019. REUTERS/Waleed AliReutersBENGHAZI, Libya: The energy committee of Libya's eastern-based parliament on Thursday rejected a government move to sack the head of National Oil Corporation (NOC), deepening a power struggle for control of the energy firm whose exports fund the entire state. That standoff now risks undermining the political independence of state-owned NOC, the only internationally accepted exporter of oil from the North African nation. The energy committee of the parliament said in a statement it recognised the NOC board under Sanalla as legitimate and accused Dbeibah of "suspicious political deals". Sanalla and GNU Oil Minister Mohamed Oun have feuded for months and the ministry said on Thursday that it confirmed the decision to appoint a new board, which it would supervise.
