Libya defense minister rescinds resignation

TRIPOLI: Libya’s defense minister yesterday rescinded his decision to resign in protest over the continuous show of force by militias that stormed government buildings in what Mohammed Al-Barghathi described as an “assault on democracy and elected authorities.”
Libyan state news agency LANA quoted Al-Barghathi as saying that he withdrew his resignation based on a request from Prime Minister Ali Zidan.
Al-Barghathi told reporters earlier that he had decided to resign after militias stormed several ministries and surrounded others with trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns. Al-Barghathi said he also submitted his resignation over how militias pressured parliament to pass a contentious and sweeping law that bans anyone who served as a senior official under ousted leader Muammar Qaddafi from working in government. Ousting elected officials could further stall the country’s already rocky transition to democracy.
“The moment of courage has come and I find myself forced ... to announce my resignation voluntarily and without hesitation,” he said at a news conference in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. “I came to this post as a revolutionary and I pledged not to battle the sons of my nation.”
The so-called Political Isolation Law could lead to the dismissal of many current leaders, some of whom had defected to the rebel side during the country’s 2011 civil war or had been elected to office since Qaddafi’s ouster and killing.