Ramsco's Women Empowerment Initiative Recognized Among Top BRICS Businesswomen Practices for 2025    Egypt, Elsewedy review progress on Ain Sokhna phosphate complex    Gold prices end July with modest gains    Pakistan says successfully concluded 'landmark trade deal' with US    Egypt's FM, US envoy discuss Gaza ceasefire, Iran nuclear talks    Modon Holding posts AED 2.1bn net profit in H1 2025    Egypt's Electricity Ministry says new power cable for Giza area operational    Egypt's Al-Sisi, Italian defence minister discuss Gaza, security cooperation    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, Nile dam with US senators    Aid airdrops intensify as famine deepens in Gaza amid mounting international criticism    Health minister showcases AI's impact on healthcare at Huawei Cloud Summit    On anti-trafficking day, Egypt's PM calls fight a 'moral and humanitarian duty'    Federal Reserve maintains interest rates    Egypt strengthens healthcare partnerships to enhance maternity, multiple sclerosis, and stroke care    Egypt keeps Gaza aid flowing, total tops 533,000 tons: minister    Indian Embassy to launch cultural festival in Assiut, film fest in Cairo    Egyptian aid convoy heads toward Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens    Culture minister launches national plan to revive film industry, modernise cinematic assets    Rafah Crossing 'never been closed for one day' from Egypt: PM    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Egypt, Oman discuss environmental cooperation    Egypt's EDA explores pharma cooperation with Belarus    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



New Libyan government starts work
Published in Ahram Online on 16 - 03 - 2021

Libya's national unity government composed of 35 ministers led by Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbeibah officially took up the reins on Tuesday from the previous Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez Al-Sarraj.
The move came one day after members of the cabinet and Presidential Council, chaired by Mohamed Al-Menfi, were sworn in in parliament during a session in the eastern city of Tobruk. The ceremony was attended by representatives and ambassadors of Western and Arab countries.
The new government will begin its work amid serious economic, financial, security and social challenges, which means it must address these vital issues before heading to presidential and parliamentary elections slated for 24 December 2021.
The Monday ceremony for the new executive, chosen on 5 November 2020, was also attended by the head of the Libyan Higher Judiciary Council Mohamed Al-Hafi and several members of the Supreme Court, Chairman of the Higher State Council Khaled Al-Mishri and members of the Council, UN Special Envoy and Director of the UN Support Mission In Libya (UNSMIL) Jan Kubis and members of the UNSMIL, the EU envoy to Libya, the ambassadors of the US, UK, France, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, and other ambassadors via videolink.
Those present met with the new cabinet members and the speaker of the Libyan parliament, emphasising the need to adhere to the roadmap adopted by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (PDF).
Dbeibah listed the priorities of his government, including combatting the Covid-19 outbreak, improving services, salvaging the electricity sector from collapse and supporting efforts by the Presidential Council to achieve national reconciliation and by the Joint Military Committee (JMC) to close the ranks of the military forces and expel foreign and mercenary combatants from Libya.
He said he was committed to the roadmap adopted by the PDF, which will lead to general and presidential elections at the end of this year.
Dbeibah's government won a vote of confidence by 132 MPs out of 178, an unprecedented step since 2014. The vote was welcomed by local, regional and international powers in the hope that the new government will succeed in leading Libya onto the path of peace and reconciliation.
On Saturday, the GNA handed the headquarters of the cabinet in Tripoli to Dbeibah, where he held a meeting the next day with ministers to coordinate on priorities for action and discuss plans to improve services provided to citizens.
A decision was taken to freeze the accounts of public agencies funded by the state, with the exception of salaries, and to regulate the movement of funds before budgetary legislation is approved by parliament. The committee formed by the GNA to combat Covid-19 was dissolved.
On Tuesday, the Higher State Council sent a proposal to parliament to amend the earlier Constitutional Declaration so that it includes the decisions of the PDF, such as the structure of the new executive power. This consists of the Presidential Council whose members are Al-Menfi as chairman and representative of the eastern region, Moussa Al-Koni representing the south, Abdullah Al-Lafi representing the west and Dbeibah.
Parliament needs to amend the Libyan Constitution to prevent objections to the new executive power, since the Libyan Political Agreement signed at Skhirat in Morocco in December 2015 stated that this would be composed of the Presidential Council of the GNA and listed nine members of the previous council.
Dbeibah is scheduled to present the draft 2021 budget to the Higher State Council, and it will then be forwarded to parliament for discussion, according to Articles 12 and 14 of the Skhirat Agreement, one of the main frames of reference for the political process in Libya under the roadmap adopted by the PDF.
The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) said it would release revenues from crude oil sales in its accounts at the Libyan Foreign Bank (LFB), since a national unity government has now been formed.
In a statement on Sunday, the NOC said sales from crude oil and its derivatives in February had reached $1.162 billion, while revenues from natural gas and condensate in February were $54.45 million.
Oil and derivatives sales had earlier reached $1.256 billion in January, while gas and condensate sales raked in $138.13 million. The NOC said the decline in February was due to payments for some shipments exported in late January being collected in early March.
"The NOC's deposit of these revenues into its account at the LFB in Tripoli complied with the temporary arrangements until the formation of a national unity government," the statement said. The release of the revenues will provide funds for the upcoming state budget, on which the government is relying to improve living conditions in the country.
If parliament approves the new budget legislation, it will be the first unified budget legislation since the start of the Libyan crisis and the institutional divisions of 2014. It is unclear if it will be impacted by the economic dialogue, of which UNSMIL has given few details. The participants have agreed on temporary financial arrangements for January and February but have not reached final agreement.
The national unity government must focus on unifying the splintered government institutions in the east and west of the country, streamlining spending, and fighting corruption in public sectors that has hindered development across the country.
Meanwhile, the Joint Military Committee held round eight of talks at its headquarters in Sirte. The meeting was attended by international monitors sent by the UN to assess the implementation of the ceasefire agreement signed on 23 October 2020 in Geneva by the GNA and command of the national army.
The discussions focused on enforcing the ceasefire agreement and removing mines ahead of opening the coastal road connecting the cities of Sirte and Misrata, as well as the expulsion of combatants from flashpoints.
The UN team will state its recommendations on the situation on the ground and what is needed to cement the ceasefire in a report to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. This will then be forwarded to the UN Security Council, which will decide on expanding the mandate of the UNSMIL ahead of deploying a larger team of international monitors.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 18 March, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly


Clic here to read the story from its source.