Fathi Bashagha

The Eastern House of Representatives said the government of Fathi Bashagha officially began work from the city of Sirte on Tuesday. Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh claimed that the Bashagha government could not enter the capital "because Tripoli is under the control of armed groups." "The government has officially decided to take on its duties from Sirte to avoid bloodshed," he added in a speech to parliament. Parliament's speaker said Abdul Hamid Dbeibah's government was refusing to hand over…

Libya's rival prime minister, appointed by the Tobruk - based House of Representatives, said he had no plans to rule from the capital Tripoli, after his attempt last week sparked clashes. In an interview late on Wednesday, Fathi Bashagha said his government will work from its headquarters in Sirte, a city on the Mediterranean coast about halfway between the country's east and west. Rival administrations from each end of Libya claim to be its legitimate rulers until elections are held. Bashagha…

On Wednesday, the UN stressed the need to refrain from all provocative acts following clashes in Tripoli recently when the rival government tried to enter the Libyan capital. UN envoy Stephanie Williams reiterated on Twitter "the critical need to remain calm on the ground under the prevailing circumstances and to avoid provocative acts and rhetoric." Following the clashes, Williams had stated that "Conflicts cannot be resolved by force, but by dialogue and mediation, and to this end the United Nations'…

Khalid al-Mishri, the chairman of Libya's Supreme Prime Minister, called on rival Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha to resign, while urging Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to accept change, as France urged all parties to refrain from violence. Al-Mishri noted that Bashagha tried to form his government in Tripoli in a fait accompli, as he said he rejected the attempt. Al-Mishri accused Bashagha and Dbeibah of refusing to hold elections even after five years, saying he urges the former to…

Rival Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha, who was appointed by the parliament of Eastern pro-Putist General Khalifa Haftar, said he would establish his government in the city of Sirte after clashes broke out during his attempt to place his government in Tripoli. Bashagha said he believed in the democratic process and the peaceful transfer of government. He said his government would start working from Sirte and enter Tripoli only in peaceful ways. Clashes broke out in Tripoli between armed groups loyal to…

Clashes erupted after Fathi Bashagha, the eastern prime minister, tried to place his government in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Tuesday, forcing him to flee the city. Bashagha's office said he had arrived in Tripoli with a number of ministers from his government early on Tuesday - three months after his controversial appointment to lead an interim government in the war-torn country. His arrival would likely fuel more tensions between Libya's rival administrations. In the morning, local media reported…

Clashes erupted after Fathi Bashagha, the eastern prime minister, tried to place his government in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Tuesday, forcing him to flee the city. Bashagha's office said he had arrived in Tripoli with a number of ministers from his government early on Tuesday - three months after his controversial appointment to lead an interim government in the war-torn country. His arrival would likely fuel more tensions between Libya's rival administrations. In the morning, local media reported…

The rival sides in Libya resumed UN-sponsored talks in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Sunday, as they try to agree on constitutional changes for the delayed election. Twelve lawmakers from Libya's eastern parliament and 11 from the High Council of State, an advisory body from western Libya, took part in the talks in Cairo, said Abdullah Bliheg, a parliamentary spokesman. Bliheg left no further details. The UN mission in Libya also said that talks had resumed at a hotel in Cairo. The first round of…

Fathi Bashagha, who was appointed prime minister by the Eastern House of Representatives, said he would like to lead the government from Tripoli but will do so from Sirte as it is currently not possible. Bashagha noted that Sirte connects the country's east and west to the south, saying that the city is relatively neutral and free from hostilities. "We would like to carry out our tasks without shedding a single drop of blood from Tripoli, but if this is not possible, then we can do it from Sirte," he…

Officials from Libya's Tripoli and Tobruk-based administrations ended week-long discussions in the Egyptian capital Cairo without an agreement on constitutional arrangements for elections, according to a UN statement. Twelve lawmakers from Libya's eastern parliament and 12 from the High Council of State, an advisory body in the western Libyan capital Tripoli, took part in the UN - mediated talks that ended on Monday in Cairo. The UN Special Adviser to Libya, Stephanie Williams, said that officials…