Libya's Foreign Affairs Minister, Ali Al-Aujali (pictured), has resigned.
Prime Minister Ali Zidan [Zeidan] informed Congress that the reasons for the resignation were personal, but according to Libya Herald no statement has been made by Aujali himself and it has not been possible to contact him.
Following his appointment to cabinet at the end of October, Aujali never formally took up the post; his appointment was controversial from the start, with accusations that he was too close to the previous regime and to Muamar Ghaddafi's son, Seif Al-Islam.
When Congress formally approved Zeidan’s government, there was an agreement that a number of ministers, including Aujali, would not take office until they had been cleared by the Integrity Commission.
The Commission agreed on 27th November that he had broken away from the Gaddafi regime well before the March 20 cut-off point and did not fall foul of any of its other criteria. However, opposition to his appointment continued and he notably failed to turn up to Congress on December 9 when he was due to take his oath of office.
Asked five days later at a press conference whether Aujali was going to take up his post, Zidan said that the decision was for him to make. He could either take up the post or resign. Whatever decision would be accepted by himself as prime minister.
Zidan has officially been foreign minister since the the government was inaugurated although the Minister of International Cooperation, Mohamed Abdulaziz, the deputy Foreign Minister in the Al-Kib administration, has effectively carried out the job.
So far, there has been no indication whom the Prime Minister intends to appoint.
Mr Aujali, a career diplomat, has served as Libyan ambassador in Washington.
On Sunday, Zeidan nominated three new ministers.
(Sources: Libya Herald, Tripoli Post)
