• Thursday, 19 December 2024

Libyan parliament withdraws confidence from unity government

Libyan parliament withdraws confidence from unity government
Libya's parliament voted on Tuesday to withdraw its confidence from a unity government that took office earlier this year, highlighting increasing divisions in the country ahead of planned elections in December. Parliament spokesman Abdullah Bliheg said that 89 lawmakers approved a no-confidence vote out of the 113 who attended the session. The Cabinet will remain as a caretaker government, Bliheg added. The interim unity government took office in March after it was elected in a UN-brokered process by a political forum made up of rival delegates, with the aim of unifying state institutions and leading the country until elections planned for December 24. It is not clear how parliament's move will affect the planned elections. However, it highlights growing divisions between the government, led by Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibeh, and parliament. For months, the parliament, led by Aguila Saleh, has failed to approve a state budget presented by the government. Some lawmakers rejected the parliament's decision, saying there were violations in the voting process and that a no-confidence motion needs at least 120 lawmakers to cast their vote. Saleh's advisor, Fathi al-Marimi, denied the accusations and told dpa that "the procedures are correct according to the internal regulations of parliament." Oil-rich Libya has been in turmoil since long-time ruler Moamer Gaddafi was toppled in 2011 and has become a proxy battleground for rival forces and foreign powers.