A new government, and Dabaiba refuses to hand over power... a new state of polarization in western Libya

TRIPOLI

- The state of polarization has returned in western Libya after the head of the National Unity Government, Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, refused to hand over power and the Parliament formed a new government headed by Fathi Bashagha.

The President of the Supreme Council of State, Khaled Al-Mashri, expressed his rejection of the road map prepared by Parliament and the method for choosing a new prime minister, after the two committees of the House of Representatives and the State agreed on a roadmap that would lead to changing the government and agreeing on the constitutional path, by forming a constitutional committee to consider the draft constitution and submit it to a referendum.

Bashagha commented on the targeting of his ministers, denouncing the "unjustified state of escalation by some parties by closing the airspace to prevent the ministers from taking the constitutional oath and causing the suffering of citizens outside the country," denouncing the attack by an "outlaw armed group on his ministers," and calling for the immediate release of his ministers.

In turn, the House of Representatives demanded - yesterday, Thursday - the Attorney-General to open an urgent investigation into the assault on the ministers of the Libyan government and shooting at them to prevent them by force from reaching the city of Tobruk to take the constitutional oath, in addition to investigating the threats that reached some members of the House of Representatives.

Private sources told Al-Jazeera Net correspondent that an armed group in Misurata detained 3 ministers in the Bashagha government after their convoy was attacked east of Misurata by what is known as the joint security force, which opened fire on the convoy when they were heading overland to take the constitutional oath in front of the House of Representatives, after the airspace was closed in front of the parliament. Ministers in the capital, Tripoli.

The sources added that "the detainees initially were Foreign Minister Hafez Kaddour, Minister of Technical Education Faraj Khalil, Minister of Culture Salha al-Drouqi and a number of the Ministers' Guard from Misurata, before the Minister of Culture and a number of guards were released."

She confirmed that Bashagha will arrive in Misurata in light of mediations taking place to solve the problem, as the joint security force of Dabaiba refuses to release the two ministers.

The sources indicated that the security situation is tense in Misurata, to which the Prime Minister-designate Bashagha belongs, and he is one of its military and political leaders as a former Minister of Interior in the Fayez al-Sarraj government and a coordinator of operations in the Al-Binan al-Marsous operation and a coordinator with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the Libyan revolution. Against the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

parallel government

For his part, State Councilor Belkacem Debarz confirmed that the Libyans witnessed the nomination of a parallel government by the House of Representatives in Tobruk, in violation of the method accepted by the Libyan people.

Debars added - to Al-Jazeera Net - "Everyone knows that the problem of Libya today is not with the government and those at its head, but the real problem in addressing the political blockage through a consensual electoral base for the constitutional path."

He explained that the national unity government, with the agreement of all, is the legitimate government entrusted with completing the remaining time to complete the elections as soon as possible.

Debers pointed out that the State Council is continuing efforts to prevent fragmentation and deepen the schism that takes us back, holding responsibility for what happens to the Speaker of Parliament and some of its members.

He believes that the radical solution lies in going to parliamentary elections in the shortest possible time and ending the transitional stages and the absurdity of their continuation in the Libyan scene.

In turn, political analyst Musa Tehosai explained that the current political situation is very complicated and congested, and all possibilities are available, including the security alignment of the military parties.

Tehusay told Al Jazeera Net - "The Dabaiba government, which insists on every occasion that it will continue to work until the elections are held, has sufficient justifications for refusing to hand over to the Pashaga government, because of the opaque atmosphere that it brought from the recommendations to grant confidence, and the State Council's recent position on it."

He added that the State Council - despite its division - considers its rejection of the government and the constitutional amendment another justification in favor of Dabaiba, who is looking for an extension at any cost as well at the expense of other bodies, in light of the lack of solutions after the elections faltered last December.

Tehusay believes that the crisis is rapidly heading to a deep political division with two governments, noting that solutions are possible, including the possibility of merging the two governments into one government headed by Pashaga.