The spokesman for the Libyan Government of National Unity, Mohammed Hammouda, said deciding on the mandate of a Prime Minister isn't the authorized task of House of Representatives (HoR) which has been tasked by the roadmap with only giving confidence to the government’s cabinet presented by the PM appointed by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).
Hammouda said that since the sevenths amendment of the constitutional declaration in 2014, the head of state (president) is the only authority that can designate a PM and Libya’s president is now the presidential council (pertaining to eleventh amendment of the constitutional declaration).
He indicated that withdrawing confidence from the government is linked to the consent of the High Council of State and 120 HoR members, as per the LPDF, adding that such consent and quorum didn’t happen, so the unity government is still legitimate as per the law inside and outside Libya and will continue to work until handing over power to an elected government.
PM Dbeibah had earlier said he would remain in power until elections produce a new government via the votes of the Libyan people, while the PM-designate Fathi Bashagha said he had started consultations to form his government.
Bashagha indicated in a video statement on Facebook late on Sunday that his efforts for a new government would ensure active political participation of all parties, reiterating that his government will be presented to the HoR just in time for a vote of confidence.
