CAIRO (Reuters) – One of Libya’s rival governments passed a resolution to suspend the prime minister under investigation, according to the the speaker of parliament.
Fatih Basaga was the Prime Minister of the Eastern Libyan Parliament, known as the House of Commons in Tobruk.
The reasons for Mr. Bashagha’s suspension and investigation were not immediately clear.
Abdullah Berhayk said that House Treasury Secretary Osama Hamada has taken over Mr. Basaga’s duties.
Libya, which has been mired in civil war since 2011, is split between two rival governments supported by international patrons and a large number of local armed militias. The western government of Libya is based in the capital, Tripoli, and is led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dubeiba.
Former interior minister and Air Force pilot Mr Basaga was appointed Prime Minister by the House of Commons in February 2022.
At the end of February, the UN Special Envoy for Libya, Abdoulaye Batiri, announced an initiative aimed at getting the divided country into the ballot box by the end of 2023. Both Congresses agreed on a joint committee to draft an electoral law for the ballot.
