Africa

Libyan PM survives apparent assassination bid

Assailants struck Libyan PrimeMinister, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah’s car with bullets early on Thursday but he escaped unharmed, a source close to him said, amid intense factional wrangling over control of the government.

The source said the incident happened as Prime Minister Dbeibah was returning home, describing it as a clear assassination attempt but the attackers fled and the incident has been referred for investigation.

Reuters has seen no immediate photographs or footage of the incident or its aftermathor spoken to other witnesses to the incident.

If confirmed, an attempt to assassinate Dbeibah could aggravate the crisis over control of Libya after he said he will ignore a vote scheduled by the eastern-based parliament later on Thursday to replace him.

Armed forces have mobilised more fighters and equipment in the capital over recent weeks, raising fears the political crisis could trigger fighting.

Libya has had little peace or stability since the 2011 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, and it split in 2014 between warring factions in east and west.

Prime Minister Dbeibah was installed in March as head of the United Nations (U.N).-backed Government of National Unity (GNU) that was meant to unify the country’s divided institutions and oversee the run-up to an election in December as part of a peace process.

Rival factions have been jostling for position after the election process fell apart amid disputes over the rules, including over the legitimacy of Prime Minister Dbeibah’s own candidacy for president after he pledged not to run.

The Parliament, which mostly backed eastern forces during the civil war, has declared the GNU invalid and will hold a vote on Thursday to name a new prime minister to form another government.

Prime Minister Dbeibah said in a speech this week that he would only hand over power after an election and the U.N.’s Libya adviser and Western countries have said they continue to recognise the GNU.

The Parliament said this week that no elections would be held this year, after it and another political body amended the country’s temporal constitution, dismaying the many Libyans who had registered to vote.

The Parliament’s move to choose a new prime minister may lead to a return to the situation before Prime Minister Dbeibah’s unity government is installed, with parallel administrations seeking to rule Libya from different cities. -Reuters

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