TRIPOLI : Libya's parliament-appointed prime minister, Fathi Bashagha, will hold a first meeting of his cabinet in the southern city of Sebha on Thursday, his spokesman said on Wednesday. The eastern-based parliament appointed Bashagha in March but the sitting prime minister, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, refused to cede power leading to a prolonged standoff between the two rival governments. Bashagha was interior minister in the Tripoli-based government during Libya's most recent bout of conflict before a 2020 ceasefire, helping it to stave off a 14-month assault by eastern forces. However, his government is now backed by the most powerful figures in eastern Libya including military commander Khalifa Haftar and parliament speaker Aguila Saleh. The parliament said his term of office expired when the election failed to take place and appointed Bashagha to replace him with elections postponed until next year.

Source: Libya Today April 20, 2022 21:45 UTC