Libya’s High Council calls central bank move 'illegal'

By Hamdi Yildiz

TRIPOLI, Libya

The chairman of Libya’s High State Council on Monday criticized the appointment of a new Central Bank chief by the Tobruk-based Assembly of Representatives as "illegitimate."

"Mohammad Shoukri’s appointment as chief of Libya’s Central Bank is like beating the air, and would fail just like previous attempts and the [Libyan] people would be affected," tweeted Abdulrahman Sewehli.

He addded that “any decisions or measures out of the political consensus would be deemed illegitimate,” emphasizing that Tobruk’s decision violates the 2015 Skhirat political agreement.

Under that agreement, the House of Representatives should consult with the State Council when assigning Libya’s sovereign leadership positions, including the head of the Central Bank.

Libya has been in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime President Muammar Gaddafi.

In the six years since, the country's stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a plethora of heavily armed militia groups.

By Hamdi Yildiz

TRIPOLI, Libya

The chairman of Libya’s High State Council on Monday criticized the appointment of a new Central Bank chief by the Tobruk-based Assembly of Representatives as "illegitimate."

He addded that “any decisions or measures out of the political consensus would be deemed illegitimate,” emphasizing that Tobruk’s decision violates the 2015 Skhirat political agreement.

Under that agreement, the House of Representatives should consult with the State Council when assigning Libya’s sovereign leadership positions, including the head of the Central Bank.

Libya has been in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime President Muammar Gaddafi.

In the six years since, the country's stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a plethora of heavily armed militia groups.