New cabinet's Gaddafi links spark demo
Thursday 01 November 2012
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EmailLibya's parliament approved a new cabinet on Wednesday night, a day after demonstrators had blocked the original vote.
But armed protesters tried to force their way into the building again on Wednesday and many blocked the road outside to express their fury that some members of the 27-strong cabinet had links with ousted former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The cabinet selection is being seen as a vote of confidence for Prime Minister Ali Zidan, whose predecessor was forced to resign when MPs failed to back his choices.
Mr Zidan's ministerial slate received 105 votes in favour, with nine against and 18 abstentions after he worked hard to lobby the various parliamentary groupings for support.
The PM was also put forward a geographically-diverse list to try to bring together the civil war-struck country.
Protesters said they would stage an open-ended sit-in until a cabinet free of remnants of the old regime was convened.
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