Libya's Government of National Unity says dismissal of Foreign Minister illegal

Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) announced on Sunday that Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush will continue to fulfill her duties as it considers the decision on her dismissal made by the Presidency Council illegal.

On Saturday, Libya's Presidency Council said it suspended Mangoush over her recent statements on the Lockerbie bombing case involving ex-Libyan intelligence officers and banned her from traveling pending investigation.

The GNU, in turn, claimed that the Presidency Council has no right to make such decisions.

"Based on the powers of the executive branch represented by the GNU and the powers of the Presidency Council, as determined by the provisions of the Political Dialogue Forum in Geneva, the council does not have the legal right to appoint or cancel the appointment of members of the executive branch, suspend their work or conduct investigations against them," the GNU said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Only the head of government has such powers, the statement noted.

In this light, the Council of Ministers ordered Mangoush to return to work, the GNU added.

Libya ceased to be a united country in 2011, when its leader Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and assassinated. In March 2021, the GNU was formed as part of the international mediation effort to stop the strife between the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army. The GNU will be in charge until the general election.

Presidential and parliamentary elections, both planned for December 24, were one of the main outcomes of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum held under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva last February. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )

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