عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Libya: Water Outage in Tripoli

A man fills bottles and a bucket with water in Tripoli, Libya (Reuters)
A man fills bottles and a bucket with water in Tripoli, Libya (Reuters)
TT
TT

Libya: Water Outage in Tripoli

A man fills bottles and a bucket with water in Tripoli, Libya (Reuters)
A man fills bottles and a bucket with water in Tripoli, Libya (Reuters)

The Great Man-Made River Project Authority announced water outage in Tripoli and other cities in the western and central region after armed men assaulted its electricity station, blocking the water flow.

In a statement, the authorities said that an armed group stormed the main electricity station and obliged the technicians there to cut off the electricity supply to Hasnawa wells fields in the backdrop of demands of fair outage hours of electricity in the south as in other regions.

After negotiations with the group, the electrical current was back and work is currently ongoing to charge the electricity stations to operate wells again, added the statement. Gradual arrival of water to Tripoli is expected by Friday.

The authority demanded the security and military bodies to hold responsibility of protecting Hasnawa wells fields.

Meanwhile, the Government of National Accord, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, declared that dozens of prisoners in Mitiga prison were released. Spokesman of the Presidential Council (PC) head Mohammed Al-Sallak confirmed Wednesday the release of 83 prisoners from the prison of Mitiga in coordination with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General.

The 7th Brigade, part of the latest clashes in Tripoli, announced that officers of its operations' chamber opened channels for communication with relevant parties in Tripoli in order to freeze all military actions.

Sarraj government revealed that a new agreement to confirm the ceasefire in Tripoli was signed between representatives of Tripoli and Tarhuna.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Lebanon: Aoun Says Govt Formation Must Not Be Delayed by Sectarian Demands

This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun (L) meeting with prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun (L) meeting with prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
TT
TT

Lebanon: Aoun Says Govt Formation Must Not Be Delayed by Sectarian Demands

This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun (L) meeting with prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun (L) meeting with prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)

Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday that the formation of the government must not be delayed because of sectarian and political complexities, urging the parliamentary blocs to ease the formation process.
“We have just begun restoring the trust between the people and the state. We wish to form a new government that meets the aspirations of the people as quickly as possible”, said Aoun on Wednesday.
He added that extending bridges of trust with the Arab and Western worlds is attainable only if sincere intentions for the good of public interest are there.
Aoun emphasized that the swift formation of a new government gives a positive signal to the whole world, while obstructions and delaying the process because of narrow political and sectarian demands does the opposite.
Lawmakers from the Change Bloc, who had a major role in unifying the ranks of the opposition and garner support for naming Judge Nawaf Salam for the premiership, reject demands for sectarian and partisan quotas to ease the formation process.
They say that the mechanism to form a government should strictly adhere to competency.
Recent reports emerged lately that lawmakers of the Change Bloc want to have two or three ministerial seats in the new lineup, but the MPs themselves denied that.
“We don’t want a ministerial share, plus we reject the notion of quotas. We only take the share we want when we rebuild a country that we aspire for, and when competent and ethical ministers are appointed”, MP Paula Yacoubian of the Change Bloc told Asharq al-Awsat.
MP Firas Hamdan, also of the Change Bloc, reiterated what Yacoubian said. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Change lawmakers do not want ministerial portfolios or any share in the coming government.
He said the bloc refuses the formation of a government based on sectarian and political quotas, akin to old formation practices. “These have proven to be failed practices”, he said.
In order to swiftly form a government and garner confidence for Salam’s government, Hamdan said that the political blocs must bear responsibility in front of the people and the international community and ease the formation.
Director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, Dr. Sami Nader, said in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat that lawmakers of the Change Bloc had a major role in bringing Salam to his post.
“But the question is: will the new regime be one that will bring change, or will it replicate the former rule? If the next scenario is the case, then we can treat the Change Bloc as we treat any other party or political group that gets appeased with ministerial representation. This would be regretful because it would only mean that we went back to the system of quotas”, he stated.