By Ibrahim El Mayet, of ie. consultancy.
Following the swearing in of Libya’s new government at the General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli this afternoon, Zidan’s new cabinet are now ready to take office.
Sunday will be their first day on the job as tomorrow is a public holiday for the Islamic New Year. Five ministerial posts remain vacant following the resignation of the Minister for Martyrs & Missing, Sami Mustafa Al Saadi, as a protest against perceived marginalisation of sections of Libyan society; and the dismissal of four ministers who were deemed unsuitable for office by the Transparency & Integrity Commission, namely: Dr. Ashour Suleiman Shwaiel (Interior), Dr. Abdulsalam Bashir El Dewaybi (Higher Education), Dr. Ali Mhaireq (Electricity) and Moez El Khoja (Minister of State – GNC liaison).
Four other ministerial candidates, Ali Al Aujali (Foreign), Dr. Kamla Al Mazeeni (Social Affairs), Ahmed Alarafi (Agriculture) and Abdulsalam Abousaad (Religious Affairs & Awqaf), were absent from the ceremony pending results of investigations by the Transparency & Integrity Commission.
One of the main criteria for the Commission appears to be degree of connection to the Gaddafi regime. Zidan’s cabinet nominations, originally approved by the General National Congress on the 31st October, were all submitted to the Transparency & Integrity Commission for clearance. At the time six names were flagged as potentially in appropriate and sparked public protest out side the Congress building.