Political
On 12 September, Mustafa Abu Shagur was confirmed as the new Prime Minister by the National Assembly; following a second round vote which saw him defeat the National Forces Alliance leader Mahmoud Jibril by 96 votes to 94. Abu Shagur, a US-trained engineer is considered to be a close ally the National Assembly Speaker Mohammed Magarief. The current Electricity Minister, Awad Barasi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Justice and Construction Party candidate, was elected Deputy Prime Minister.
Abu Shagur returned to Libya for the first time in over thirty years in May 2011. Based in Benghazi, he became an advisor to the National Transitional Council (NTC). He was later appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister to the Interim Government in November 2011. He is viewed in the eyes of many as the most qualified candidate for the role of Prime Minister. His international business background will position him well to handle the needs of Libya’s economy and the expansion of the private sector. With no links to the previous regime he is also popular with those that want complete separation from the previous regime.
As with all of the candidates, Abu Shagur has stated that Sharia Law should be the basis of Libya’s future legal system, but he is not considered to be an Islamist. He is also considered by many to be the best option to successfully unite the country and has stated that he will elect his Ministers from across the full range of the political spectrum.
