Libya has a new interim prime minister

Mr. Abdurrahim al-Keib, a member of parliament representing the capital Tripoli in the National Transitional Council (NTC), was elected as the new prime minister of Libya's interim government in a vote on October 31.

Libya's new interim prime minister (left) shakes hands with National Transitional Council (NTC) chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil - Photo: Reuters

The vote was conducted by the NTC and was open to the public. Mr Keib beat eight other rivals by a landslide. According to the BBC, he is seen as a figure who can resolve internal disagreements within the NTC.

Mr. Keib is expected to announce a new cabinet in the next few days. The interim government will run Libya until general elections.

Mr. Keib is an electrical engineering expert who studied in the United States. Mr. Keib replaces Mahmoud Jibril, who promised to resign after Libya was officially declared liberated.

The NTC will hold parliamentary elections within eight months. It was formed in February to lead the Libyan uprising. France was the first country to recognize the interim government as legitimate, and more than 100 countries have since followed suit.

At 4:00 a.m. this morning, November 1, Vietnam time, NATO officially ended its seven-month air campaign in Libya. Previously, the United Nations rejected Libya's request to extend NATO's operations until the end of the year. On October 31, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also made a surprise visit to the capital Tripoli.

According to Tuoi Tre