Eastern Libyans Declare New Cyrenaica Government

On Thursday, Oct. 24 Federalists announced a government for Cyrenaica, consisting of a prime minister, deputy prime minister and 24 other ministers. According to the Libya Herald, the movement is viewed as largely the creation of Ibrahim Jadhran, the former Petroleum Facilities Guard commander who is leading the eastern oil terminals blockade. Jadhran was elected as head of the self-proclaimed Cyrenaica Council’s Political Bureau on 17 August.

It was Jadhran who named Abdraba Abdulhameed Al-Barasi to be Cyrenaica’s “prime minister” three weeks ago and who today said that the announcement of the government was two days late but that “we fulfilled our promise of a new regional government”.

Barasi said that the reason for the move was because the central authorities have failed and have shown incompetence and corruption. "They were not to be trusted anymore," Barasi said, and explained that the Cyrenaica government  took its legitimacy and legal status from the 1951 Kingdom of Libya constitution.

Insisting that it was not a secession movement but a movement for ‪Libya, and that Cyrenaica is the start and the aim is Libya, Barasi added, that the primary task at the moment was the security situation in Cyrenaica. "Without law and order being imposed," Barasi said. "The whole idea of a Cyrenaica government would be meaningless."

The Libyan Herald reports that according to the Cyrenaica Council (CC), the government had been formed after extensive consultations with all civil society in the region, will be based in Beida, and would start work next week.

Responding to the announcement, Congress Spokesman Omar Hemidan told the Libya Herald that the announcement of the so-called Cyrenaica Region was illegal, and that those behind it were exploiting the fact that there had been failings in the government’s performance.

The Libyan Herald has reported that the Cyrenaican ministers, said to have been chosen for their qualifications and experience, are:

1. Faraj Omar Al-Abdli (Deputy of the Executive Office);
2. Colonel Adam Ali Urufi (Interior);
3. Abdulhammed Saleh Al-Hayash (Islamic Affairs);
4. Abdulmalek Zway (Wealth and Minerals);
5. Riad Anwar Shenib (Economy and Commerce);
6. Alameen Attaya Al-Minifi (Industry);
7. Jibril Razqallah Al-Awami (Planning);
8. Mohamed Al-Mabrouk Buqaiqis (High education and Search);
9. Mohamed Yousef Fanoush (Education);
10. Fatthallah Mohamed Taher Al-Drisi (Public Service);
11. Faraj Abdel Salam Al-safty Al-Shalawi (Transportation);
12. Abdulhafeed Burghaia Ubaidi (Agriculture);
13. Fathi Salem Raheel Ashaba ( livestock and marine);
14. Mohamed Saad Hammad Qabaili (Housing);
15. Nasser Eddin Mohna (Health);
16. Abdel Nasser Suleiman Altbawi (Water and Environment);
17. Hamad Saad Saaiti (Tourism and Antiquities);
18. Faraj Hamad Al-Musmari (Wounded people)’
19. Abdulsalam Ashour Qattani (Culture);
20. Mansour Salem Khamis Faitori (Communications);
21. Abdulati Mohamed Al-Fakhri (Electricity);
22. Tawfiq Uthman Uraibi (Youth and Sport);
23. Ibrahim Bakar Imdawi (Justice);
24. Hussam Moamen Naas (Social Affairs).

(Source: Libyan Herald)