This is the third meeting now meant to provide a vote of approval to the GNA. The GNA term starts only when it has a vote of confidence from the HoR. A first list presented by the GNA presidency council was rejected as being too large at 32 ministers. A new list was announced of 13 ministries plus five ministers of state. The list was not voted on as the GNA wanted more time to present a new list as two of those nominated refused to let their names stand.
The list was presented to the HoR in Tobruk today but the session was characterized by heated discussion and ultimately was postponed until tomorrow. The Libya Observer reports: Head of UN-imposed government, Fayez Al-Sirraj, presented earlier Saturday the new cabinet formation in Tobruk parliament headquarters in Tobruk city; however, the session was disrupted and hence suspended to Sunday due to deliberate noise by some of the MPs, who even attacked the PC members and accused them of being members of Muslim Brotherhood Group, urging them to resign
The Libya Observer generally supports the rival General National Congress government which rejects the Libyan Political Agreement(LPA) and the associated Government of National Accord (GNA), hence the description of the GNA as UN-imposed. PC refers to the Presidential Council of the GNA a group of nine senior officials.
The HoR had insisted Serraj have his list ready by Friday night and present the new list in person to the HoR. Serraj took with him two deputy prime ministers designate, Fathi Majberi, and Musa Koni. There was still no announcement of who would replace Fakir Bufernah the proposed finance minister, and Mohamed Younis, minister for martyrs, wounded, and missing. Both members refused to serve in the GNA. Many wonder also if Serraj will keep Mohammed Siaia as foreign affairs minister. Siaia supported Gadaffi until late in the revolution. The same is true of Hadi Al-Juhaimi the planning minister.
Some PC members complained that some members of the HoR had demanded that relatives be nominated for ministerial posts as a condition of receiving a positive vote. PC member, Fathi Al-Majibri said that HoR member Ali Al-Gotrani threatened him with not being able to return to Cyrenaica if he did not remove the name of AlMahdi Al-Burghathi as defense minister. Al-Burghathi is not on good terms with commander in chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar even though he is one of the leaders of Operation Dignity a military operation started by Haftar in May of 2014. The Operation is intended to clear Libya of Islamists, including the militia groups who support the rival General National Congress (GNC) government.
Fathi Al-Mijibri a member of the Presidential Council threatened the militia who defend Tripoli and support the GNC:“Tripoli is kidnapped by terrorist powers and we will do our best to liberate it from them, then the new government is going to move to Tripoli backed by national and international parties.”
This statement could result in furious reactions from some brigades that support the LPA signed in Skhirat on December 17, 2015 but oppose Khalifa Haftar and his Operation Dignity. There will also be a negative reaction to such a statement from members of the GNC who signed on to the LPA. Some members of the PC refused to even go to Tobruk saying it was unsafe. To speak of Tripoli as “kidnapped by terrorist powers” is a phrase that only Haftar and his supporters would use. Divisions within the GNA are bound to widen.
The LANA news agency that is closely connected with authorities in the HoR said only that members of the HoR discussed with some from the Presidential Council the proposed GNA programme as well as the names of ministers. The session was reported as adjourned after several hours of “heated debate.” The session was adjourned until 08 a.m. GMT tomorrow.
The present meetings are just to discuss the new GNA and its programs. According to LNA the actual confidence vote is scheduled for Tuesday. The HoR had asked that Serraj appear before them prior to the confidence vote. It is not even clear Serraj will attend the session on Sunday. The meeting shows the GNA still faces difficulties. The vote on Tuesday could again reject the GNA unless something is worked out before then. The appended video is of more than 15 minutes at the end of today’s session in Tobruk. While it is in Arabic the tone and body language gives some idea of what it was like even for people who do not understand Arabic.
