Sewehli refuses to endorse new government, boycotts oath-taking ceremony-- an article from the Libya Herald about how regional politics is being played out over Ali Zidan's cabinet which was sworn in on 14 Nov 2012. This indirectly shows that Misratans are not pleased with losing control of the interior ministry and wish to be the arbiters of revolutionary propriety.Congressman Abdurrahman Sewehli, head of the Union for Homeland Party (UHP) and chairman of Congress’ Defence Committee boycotted the new government’s oath-taking ceremony in protest at the inclusion of ministers who he says “do not meet the standards of integrity and patriotism”. He accuses them of having been too closely connected to the Qaddafi regime.The commission was set up to assess whether officials were too closely connected with the former regime and are sufficiently committed to the revolution to represent the “New Libya”. Five out of 31 ministerial portfolios are vacant at moment, as the Commission rejected four candidates for ministerial posts nominated by the Prime Minister: Interior Minister Ashour Suleiman Shuwail, Ali Mohammed Muhairiq (Electricity), Abdulasalm Bashir Duabi (Higher Education) and Muaz Fathi Al-Khoja (Minister for Relations with Congress).The commission still has to make rulings on four other ministers: Ali Al-Aujali (Foreign Affairs), Kamla Khamis Al-Mazini (Social Affairs), Ahmed Ayad Ali Al-Urfi (Agriculture) and Abdulsalam Mohammed Abusaad (Religious Affairs and Awqaf).Many in Libya were surprised at the composition of Zeidan’s cabinet, as it includes many unknown names as well as some who had held positions during the Qaddafi era. Aujali, the most notable example, is a career diplomat who was Libyan ambassador to the United States when the revolution began but was an early supporter of it.
Sewehli refuses to endorse new government