Islamist-backed businessman named Libya PM
Ahmed Miitig is named Libya's new prime minister after a chaotic session of the General National Congress (GNC) on Sunday, May 4
TRIPOLI, Libya (Update 2) An Islamist-backed businessman was named Libya's new prime minister Sunday, May 4, days after gunmen stormed the General National Congress to interrupt an earlier ballot.
Ahmed Miitig, 42, won the vote in parliament to become Libya's youngest and 5th prime minister since veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 uprising.
Since then successive governments in the oil-rich North African country have struggled to impose order as heavily armed former rebel brigades have carved out their own fiefdoms and refused to join the security forces.
The job of prime minister has proven challenging and dangerous. Ali Zeidan, who was voted out by parliament for failing to prevent a rebel oil shipment in March, had been kidnapped by gunmen last year and held for several hours before being released.
Last month Zeidan's defence minister Abdullah al-Thani was appointed to replace him, but stepped down after just five days, saying he and his family had come under attack.
State television broadcast chaotic footage from Sunday's session.
At first GNC vice president Ezzedin al-Awami said Miitig defeated university professor Omar al-Hassi by 73-43 votes but mustered only 113 of the 120 votes required by the constitution in a vote of confidence.
But GNC official Salah al-Makhzoum later announced that the relatively unknown businessman had clinched 121 votes in the 185-seat interim parliament, apparently after a recount.
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Islamist-backed businessman named Libya PM