Libyan Prime Minister-designate Abdulhamid Dbeibeh defended on Sunday the “integrity” of the process in which he and the Presidential Council were elected.
He made his remarks in wake of allegations that bribes had been made to ensure his election during the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Tunisia last month.
Dbeibeh refuted the claims, saying that the election was carried out in “complete transparency.”
Meanwhile, his spokesman revealed that the PM-designate has completed his cabinet lineup and has already briefed the Presidential Council on its details.
He stressed that the dispute over the defense portfolio has been resolved and welcomed the choice of Sirte to host the parliament meeting that would vote on the lineup.
At least three participants in UN-led Libya peace talks were bribed for votes, experts from the world body found in a report for the Security Council seen by AFP Sunday.
In a report set to be presented to the Security Council in March, UN experts found that during the Tunisia talks, two participants "offered bribes of between $150,000 to $200,000 to at least three LPDF participants if they committed to vote for Dbeibeh as PM."
The report, which is yet to be made public, was prepared by UN experts tasked with examining breaches of an international arms embargo to the North African nation.
In a passage of their report seen by AFP, the experts reported that one delegate "erupted in anger in lobby of the Four Seasons hotel in Tunis on hearing that some participants may have received up to ... $500,000 for their Dbeibeh votes, whereas he had only received $200,000."
One participant in the talks, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed to AFP that he had witnessed the scene, voicing anger at "unacceptable corruption at a time when Libya is going through a major crisis".
The Tunisia talks aimed at creating a transitional administration to lead the country towards elections set for December.
