In a bid to bring new energies and a fresh allure to the HoR camp, Caretaker Prime Minister Abdullah Thinni has resigned from his post along with all the members of his government. The decision came hours after news emerged about the possible resignation of six ministers from his government.
In his final statement, the caretaker government reiterated the status of the HoR as the sole legitimate institution inside the country, alongside the Constitutional Assembly, and framed its resignation as a move designed to allow the election of a new government. The HoR has already shortlisted five candidates for the Prime Minister Office: outgoing PM Thinni, Ashur Shuwail, Omar Abassi, Ali Al-Tikbali and the Libyan Ambassador to the UAE Aref Al-Nayed; the Libya Herald put together a brief backgrounder on each of them. Meanwhile, in Tripoli, GNC-appointed Prime Minister al-Hassi is said to have selected seven ministers for his own government, including GNC President Abu Sahmain.
Thinni's resignation should be seen in the context of the increasing internal pressure the HoR is facing, due to the recent military developments which gave the Misratan/GNC camp the upper hand in the ongoing confrontation. In this sense, the presence of Thinni among shortlisted candidates for the PM position should be seen as a proof that his resignation does not mark a fracture between him and the HoR, but rather an attempt to salvage the internal standing of this institution by speeding up the election of the new government.
An increased sense of urgency with regards to the ongoing Libyan political crisis can also be perceived through the statement issued by the EU, which openly rejects the GNC and its government, labeling them as illegitimate, and through the call issued by France for the UN to provide 'exceptional support' to Libya and its transition process. At this stage, it seems that all actors outside of the Misratan camp are working against the potential consolidation of two rival and equally non-representative political centers of power. However, it will now be up to the HoR to select an inclusive government, capable of acting and being perceived as a national salvation one, so as to avoid the further consolidation of factors potentially leading up to a widespread civil war or to a deepened socio-political fragmentation of the country.