Libya appoints new prime minister

Businessman Ahmed Maiteeq has been sworn in as Libya’s new prime minister, the Libya Herald reports.

Libya’s parliament, the General National Congress, appointed him prime minister after Congress members persuaded the deputy president to re-run a vote of confidence in him.

Maiteeq was initially reported to have mustered only 113 votes of the 120 votes needed under the constitution to make him prime minister. The second vote took place after a number of absent Congress members went in and voted.

Maiteeq then passed the 120-threshold by one vote and was sworn in as Libya’s new prime minister.

Deputy parliamentary speaker Saleh al-Makhzouq has reuqested Maiteeq to form a government within two weeks. 

Libya’s 185-seat parliament has been deadlocked after Abdullah al-Thinni resigned as prime minister three weeks ago.

He offered to resign on April 13, saying he and his family came under a savage attack the night before in their residence and he could no longer put innocent people's lives at risk.

The first round of voting last week included nine candidates. Businessman Ahmed El Maiteeq and Omar Al Hassy, a lawyer, were the front-runners.

Thinni resigned just one month after his election, when he replaced Ali Zeidan who was voted out of office.