TRIPOLI : The man chosen by Libya's parliament as the new prime minister told Reuters on Wednesday that he expects to take office in Tripoli peacefully despite the incumbent's vow to hold onto power. The parliament will swear in Fathi Bashagha as prime minister on Thursday but the head of the current interim government, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, has refused to cede control, raising the prospect of fighting. "There will be no use of force, neither by us nor the existing government," Bashagha said in an interview. The parliament's position is backed by the eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar who waged a 14-month war on Tripoli from 2019 TO 2020. Disputes over basic rules for the election led to the collapse of the planned vote in December.

Source: Libya Today March 03, 2022 04:59 UTC