Libya's deputy head of presidential council resigns

Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-19 06:20:33|Editor: yan
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TRIPOLI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Fathi al-Majbari, deputy head of the Libyan presidential council of the UN-backed government, resigned on Wednesday evening, local TV reported.

"I announce my resignation from my position and from the Government of National Accord (GNA). I call on the patriotic ministers to resign as well," al-Majbari told local TV channel Libya al-Hadath.

"Tripoli is under the rule of the militias, and we have tried to reform but failed. It is not a city suitable for political action and needs real treatment," he said.

Al-Majbari added that the government is unable to provide security for the people.

"Unfortunately, the militias control the financial resources, and what is happening within the GNA is a play," he said.

Al-Majbari, who is close to the eastern-based army commander, Gen. Khalifa Haftar, was almost kidnapped in June when gunmen attacked his residence in the capital Tripoli.

The attack wounded two of his bodyguards, before he managed to mysteriously escape to the Tunisian capital.

The kidnapping came hours after he announced support for Haftar's handing over of oil ports to the eastern-based interim government's oil corporation instead of the Tripoli-based UN-backed government's oil corporation.

Al-Majbari is the third member of the presidential council to resign.

The Presidential Council of the GNA was formed based on the UN-sponsored political agreement signed in Morocco later in 2015 by the Libya parties in order to end the state of political division.

The council consists of nine members: president, five deputies and three ministers of state.

Despite the signed agreement, Libya remains politically divided between two governments in the east and the west, both competing for legitimacy.

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