BENGHAZI, Libya — Dozens of protesters have briefly blocked the gates of the parliament based in the country’s east, preventing a crucial session, lawmakers said on Monday, before negotiations ended the standoff. The house was to convene for the first time since the new U.N. envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, assumed his post. Lawmaker Fawzia Abu-Ghalia said she flew in from Tripoli for the session in the eastern city of Tobruk but added that she and other lawmakers “found the parliament closed” by protesters, mostly young men demanding their salaries. Later on the day, Parliament Spokesman Abdullah Ablahig told The Associated Press that negotiations succeeded in ending the protests and the session will be held tonight. However, the parliament insisted on amending a divisive article in the agreement which keeps the command of the army under the parliament instead of giving it to Serraj.

Source: National Post October 09, 2017 11:48 UTC