In a rare encouraging development, the rule of law has been acknowledged as supreme and the institutions of the Libyan state as legitimate arbiters of power and due process. You can read more about this amazing development from AJE, or Libya Herald, or The Economist. My take on the upshot is:
After the Libyan Supreme Court ruled on Monday June 9 that Ahmed Maiteg's appointment as prime minister was unconstitutional, he said he would step down immediately and not contest the Supreme Court ruling in the interest of the "rule of law." Maiteg's decision to step down is an impressive and rare demonstration of the respect for the rule of law. Furthermore, Thinni's continuity as prime minister increases the chances that Ibrahim Jadhran and the Petroleum Facilities Guards will respect negotiated deals to open ports and oilfields in the east. This is, in fact, one if its key implications and it is possible that Maiteg's decision reveals that a backdoor 'grand bargain' is in the works between the federalists, moderate Islamists and Misratans, and the anti-Islamists, Haftar and the Zintanis. This potentiality of a grand bargain could see the security situation improve as political consensus is increasingly manufactured. Well at least there is something new to hope for and it will be interesting to see if new signs of a grand bargain materialize over the next days.