Libya Reappoints Abdullah al-Thinni as Prime Minister (UPDATE)

By Staff Reporter - 02 Sep '14 07:44AM

Libya's elected Parliament, the House of Representatives, reappointed Abdullah al-Thinni as the Prime Minister Monday and asked him to form a "crisis government" within two weeks, Al Arabia News reports.

"The House has reappointed Abdullah al-Thinni today as the prime minister, asking him to form a crisis government within a period of time not exceeding two weeks," a parliamentary spokesman said.

Authorities acknowledged that "most" government buildings in Tripoli have been captured by militant groups and a separate parliament has claimed legitimacy in this oil-producing country, the Financial Times reports.

The transitional government released a statement in which it mentioned that the armed forces had surrounded the government headquarters and were preventing workers from entering and they were also threatening to kill ministers and their deputies.

"It has become difficult for them to go to their offices without facing either arrest or assassination, especially after several armed formations announced threats against them, attacked their homes and terrorised their families," the statement added.

Abdullah al-Thinni, a former defense minister and career soldier, was appointed as the Prime Minister in March, but had faced constant opposition during his tenure. After a breakdown of the Parliament in May, the Islamist-leaning Ahmed Maetig was appointed as the Prime Minister; but his position was ruled as "unconstitutional" and Thinni's position was restored in June, News Everyday reports.

Senior officials as well as the parliament and the Council of Representatives shifted from the capital city to Tubruq in eastern Libya last month as violence broke out between the Dawn of Libya coalition, led by brigades from the city of Misurata, and rival militias based at the city's international airport.

Even the airport is under the control of the Islamist-affiliated coalition and it appears as though the government has lost all charge over the capital city of Tripoli.