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By Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Jomana Karadsheh, CNN

updated 8:42 AM EDT, Mon May 5, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Tripoli (CNN) -- After a chaotic day that saw Libya pick a new prime minister only for the vote be declared invalid hours later, the volatile North African country appears to have a new premier -- the fifth in more than two years.

The General National Congress, Libya's transitional parliament, seemed to have selected a new prime minister on Sunday, choosing businessman Ahmad Mitig during a lively legislative session that saw several rounds of voting.

But almost as soon as Mitig was sworn in, the deputy speaker declared the election invalid.

On Monday, the Congress confirmed Mitig as Libya's new prime minister after approving his appointment.

"Ahmad Mitig was appointed head of the transitional government, and asked to form his cabinet and present it to the GNC for a confidence vote within 15 days," said a decision signed by Congress Speaker Nuri Abu Sahmein.

"This decision is in effect from date of publication ... and anything that contradicts it is nullified and all those concerned must implement it."

The resolution was numbered as "No. 38" and dated May 4 but published Monday.

Read more from the original source:
Libya gets new premier

Libya Set to Elect New Prime Minister
Egypt #39;s neighbor Libya, is bracing for the final round of elections for a new prime minister on Sunday. A 200 member General National Congress (GNC) is assig...

By: HaberKurdistan

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Libya Set to Elect New Prime Minister - Video

Reporting from Cairo

Libya has a new prime minister. But in keeping with months of chaos in the North African nation, the events leading up to Sundays swearing-in were confusing and turbulent.

Ahmed Matiq, an Islamist-leaning businessman from the economically important western city of Misrata, took the oath of office in a televised ceremony. But the balloting by lawmakers that preceded his inauguration was murky.

Secularists walked out of the proceedings, and a vote televised by the state broadcaster initially indicated Matiq had not received sufficient support. But a reconvened session and a new tally with one vote more than the 120 votes he needed was announced by the state news agency LANA.

Addressing lawmakers, Matiq thanked them for the vote of confidence. His main rival had been a more rigorous Islamist.

Even carrying out a vote was something of a triumph for Libyas beleaguered government. Last week, the balloting was put off after armed men tried to overrun the parliament, triggering a firefight. Security has generally deteriorated in the capital, Tripoli, in recent months, with armed factions often overrunning government installations.

The previous Western-backed prime minister, Ali Zidan, left Libya this year after parliament forced him out with a no-confidence vote. That came on the heels of a crisis during which rebels in eastern Libya seized millions of dollars worth of crude oil and tried to sell it on the black market via an illicit tanker shipment.

The vessel was intercepted by U.S. Navy SEALs and brought back to a government-controlled port.

Late last year, armed militiamen kidnapped Zidan from the luxury hotel that had been his home base, leading him away in his pajamas. Zidans defense minister, Abdullah Thinni, took over temporarily as prime minister after Zidan's ouster by lawmakers, but declined to form a government.

The two years since longtime dictator Moammar Kadafi was overthrown with NATO's help and then killed have been strife-ridden, with many Libyans deeply disappointed by the outcome of a revolution that swiftly devolved into a civil war.

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Libya elects a prime minister in chaotic session of parliament

TRIPOLI, Libya Libya's parliament has sworn in a new prime minister despite a disputed vote.

A Libyan television station and lawmakers say the country's interim parliament swore in 42-year-old businessman Ahmed Matiq after a vote Sunday.

Initially, only 113 lawmakers voted for Matiq, falling short of the 120 votes necessary to secure his win. After the session was adjourned, Libyan TV station Al-Ahrar reported that voting resumed and Matiq secured eight new votes.

Lawmaker Mohammed Samoud confirmed Matiq, from Misrata, won.

Lawmaker Fatma al-Majbari told Al-Ahrar the new votes came after the session was adjourned. She says she will contest the decision.

Omar al-Hassi, a political science professor from the country's second-largest city of Benghazi, ran against Matiq. He is backed by the hard-line Islamist bloc in parliament.

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Libya's parliament swears in Ahmed Matiq as prime minister after disputed vote

Ahmed Miitig is named Libya's new prime minister after a chaotic session of the General National Congress (GNC) on Sunday, May 4

TRIPOLI, Libya (Update 2) An Islamist-backed businessman was named Libya's new prime minister Sunday, May 4, days after gunmen stormed the General National Congress to interrupt an earlier ballot.

Ahmed Miitig, 42, won the vote in parliament to become Libya's youngest and 5th prime minister since veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 uprising.

Since then successive governments in the oil-rich North African country have struggled to impose order as heavily armed former rebel brigades have carved out their own fiefdoms and refused to join the security forces.

The job of prime minister has proven challenging and dangerous. Ali Zeidan, who was voted out by parliament for failing to prevent a rebel oil shipment in March, had been kidnapped by gunmen last year and held for several hours before being released.

Last month Zeidan's defence minister Abdullah al-Thani was appointed to replace him, but stepped down after just five days, saying he and his family had come under attack.

State television broadcast chaotic footage from Sunday's session.

At first GNC vice president Ezzedin al-Awami said Miitig defeated university professor Omar al-Hassi by 73-43 votes but mustered only 113 of the 120 votes required by the constitution in a vote of confidence.

But GNC official Salah al-Makhzoum later announced that the relatively unknown businessman had clinched 121 votes in the 185-seat interim parliament, apparently after a recount.

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Islamist-backed businessman named Libya PM