The eastern parliament of Libya voted to remove Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha and replace him with Finance Minister Osama Hamada.
According to Arab media, the suspension of Fathi Bashagha, a prime ministerial rival of the UN-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU), was announced by parliament spokesman Abdullah Belhaiq.
Fathi Bashagha was appointed by the east-based parliament last year, but he has been unable to enter Tripoli or take over from Prime Minister Abdelhamid al-Dabibah, who rejected the appointment.
In February 2022, the Libyan parliament appointed former interior minister Fathi Bashagha as the country’s new prime minister.
The conflict between al-Dabiba and Bashigha has raged for months, with Libya’s powerful eastern faction supporting the latter, who is backed by rebel military commander Khalifa Haftar, and several factions controlling Tripoli and the rest of the northwest opposing it.
Since 2014, Libya has been divided into rival administrations based in the east and west of the country, each backed by militias and regional powers. Several conflicts have erupted as a result of Haftar’s efforts to advance towards Tripoli.
Years of negotiations, mediation, and cease-fires have failed to bring peace since the overthrow of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
