Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 16 January 2014:
Following Tuesday’s storming of Congress by armed protesters demanding the removal of Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, demonstrators camped . . .[restrict]outside the GNC building yesterday claiming they would start a second revolution if he was not dismissed by Sunday.
At the same time, talks continued behind close doors, as Congress resumed its discussion of a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister.
He is currently visiting Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Oraibi, spokesman for the demonstrators and a Libya Shield commander in Benghazi, told Al-Assema TV that protestors were peaceful and carried no weapons, contrary to Congress members’ claims. However, Obari said that the protestors were giving Congress until Sunday to remove Zeidan or another revolution would unfold.
He added: “We are peaceful protesters coming from the east with others joining us from Tripoli. We are demanding a vote of no-confidence in Zeidan because he is behind the deteriorating security situation in the country.”
While it appears that there is sufficient support to pass a vote of no confidence in Zeidan, Congress members have agreed that the Prime Minister cannot be removed until a replacement has been chosen. At the moment, there is deadlock on the issue.
Amina Mahjoub, a Justice & Construction Party Congresswoman for Sorman, told the Libya Herald that members of the National Forces Alliance were demanding changes to the Political Isolation Law, allowing them to put forward their own candidate. She added that no solutions to the deadlock had yet been reached and that, for its part, the Justice & Construction Party had nominated no candidate for Prime Minister.
Mahjoub added that the longer talks continue, the more possible it was that support could swing back to Zeidan.
Sulaiman Al-Haj, an independent Congressman for Al-Jmail, told this newspaper that his greatest concerns were for the country, saying that if a vote of no confidence in Zeidan was necessary, so be it. Haj added that it was of the upmost importance that any transition take place smoothly, avoiding the consequences of a political vacuum. [/restrict]
