Libyan prime minister ousted by parliament

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Parent Category: Africa and The World

Category: Current Issues

Created on Tuesday, 11 March 2014 00:00

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Libyan prime minister ousted by parliament

Ali Zeidan removed by vote of no confidence after militia seized port of al-Sidra and tried to sell oil to North Korean tanker

Associated Press

Libya's parliament has forced out the prime minister in a vote of no confidence, a move prompted by a crisis this week when a militia controlling an eastern port defied Tripoli's authority by trying to sell oil. The chamber named the defence minister as an interim prime minister until a replacement for Ali Zeidan is found.

The vote of confidence followed the standoff between the central government in Tripoli and powerful militias in the east of the country. A militia holding the key port of al-Sidra sparked a three-day crisis when it attempted to load oil into a North Korean-flagged tanker that had docked without government permission.

The confidence vote raises the potential for armed conflict. Most politicians in Libya are backed by militias with regional or ideological allegiances, who may not accept Zeidan's removal.

The parliament started off as a 200-seat chamber, but the number of its members has been reduced to 180 after a series of resignations and dismissals. The no vote won the support of 121 MPs. Source:

The Guardian UK