Libyan Prime Minister Fathi Bashaga, appointed by the Libyan parliament and in a power struggle with the Tripoli government, signaled in an interview with AFP that he would take up his duties in the capital “in the coming days.”
Libya is deeply divided by the presence of two competing governments, the first came to Tripoli in accordance with a political agreement a year and a half ago, led by Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, who refuses to transfer power except to an elected government, and the second, led by Fathi Bashag, appointed by the Parliament of Tobruk (East) last February and granted him confidence in March.Marte, and takes Sirte in the center of the country as a temporary headquarters after being prevented from entering Tripoli.
Bashaga, backed by Eastern influence Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, announced Tripoli’s entry with his government in mid-May, but backed down hours after clashes broke out in the capital between two armed groups loyal to each of the two prime ministers. ministers, and his attempt was thwarted.
In this context, Bashaga stressed that if he left, it was only to avoid bloodshed without giving up his duties in Tripoli.
In an interview via the Zoom app from his temporary headquarters in the city of Sirte, 450 kilometers east of Tripoli, he explained that “all roads to Tripoli are open,” adding, “We have received several positive invitations to enter the capital.”
“Illegal”
Dabaiba and Bashagu are supported by different armed groups in the capital, but the latter confirmed that “the forces that were in opposition have changed their positions and want us to enter the capital and we will enter”, adding that “there is no strong opposition, there is opposition on the part of some forces to which the previous government paid money.
The government of Dabaib was entrusted with the main task of organizing the parliamentary and presidential elections, which were scheduled for December last year.
However, disagreements between political parties, especially on the electoral law, led to its postponement indefinitely, given that the international community had high hopes for achieving stability in the country.
Bashaga stressed that the Tripoli government was “illegitimate” and said, “His mandate has expired and he has failed to organize elections.”
Although backed by the eastern camp, like his rival Dabaibu, Bashaga hails from Misrata in western Libya.
The former aviation coach made a name for himself during his tenure as interior minister from 2018 to early 2021.
Today, it is at the center of a serious institutional crisis that is raising fears of a new civil war in Libya.
He ruled out a civil war scenario, but warned that “there may be chaos due to demonstrations and people’s demands for a unified government in Libya and a government capable of uniting Libyans and starting a process of reform.”
In early July, there were demonstrations across the country against deteriorating living conditions and power outages, and demanding a renewal of the political class, including Dabaiba and Bashaga. The demonstrators managed to enter the Parliament of Tobruk (East) before setting it on fire.
Libyan decisions
Since mid-April, supporters of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar have shut down major oil facilities to put pressure on the Tripoli government to resign.
However, the closure also resulted in a reduction in gas production needed to supply the electricity grid, resulting in an extended blackout period.
Bashaga emphasized that there was “no connection” between the power outage and the shutdown of the oil facilities, and said, “Once the people of the Oil Crescent are sure that the money will not go to corruption, theft or other things, they will ban the export of oil.”
He urged the United Nations to “make decisions that work for the benefit of the Libyans, not the countries that are interfering in Libya” at a time when the conflict has largely been fueled by outside interference.
“We managed to avoid any kind of military confrontation, but Libya cannot stay like this forever. We need a solution,” he said.
