Libya’s Tripoli Parliament Retracts Announced Closure

PM Threatens to Prosecute those Working With Rival Govts

One day after the office of the prime minister of Libya’s National Salvation Government (NSG) offered a statement announcing the immediate cessation of all operations, Prime Minister Khalifa Ghweil was disavowed the statement, insisting they will continue to operate.

The statement was somewhat suspect, as there were no signatures from any of the MPs or cabinet members of the Ghweil parliament. Ghweil went on to warn that anyone working with the rival “unity government” will face prosecution.

This is raising speculation that the statement reflects a split within Ghweil’s office. The NSG has been the primary parliament in western Libya, though the UN recognizes the eastern Tobruk parliament as the “official” one. The UN similarly recognizes a third faction, the newly formed unity government, as the “official” government of Libya.

The initial parliamentary split came after the disputed last election, in which the Tobruk parliament was voted in, sparking fights in Tripoli and their eventual expulsion by supporters of the NSG, which is mostly figures from the previous parliament.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.