Libya's PM vows to hand over power only through elections

Libya's Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. [VOA]

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah said Saturday that he will only transfer power through elections.

Speaking at an event in the capital Tripoli, Dbeibah said he would hand over office to "those who deserve it" and let the Libyan people decide through elections.

"We would like to establish a constitutional basis for the elections. My job in the government is to support the High National Elections Commission and secure the ballot boxes," Dbeibah added.

Dbeibeh took office in February 2021, appointed through the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, with the expectation to serve until the initially planned elections on December 24, 2021, which were later postponed due to disputes over the legal framework and the eligibility of candidates.

In October, the Eastern-based parliament passed laws for presidential and parliamentary elections, but the Tripoli-based High Council of State rejected them and withdrew from a joint committee that was tasked with drafting the legislation for the vote.