Libya’s Brotherhood pressing for appointment of defense minister loyal to it

Mustafa Kamel

The branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya did its best in the past period to sabotage the planned general elections and the formation of sovereign bodies.

The group now lobbies for the appointment of a minister of defense affiliated to it.

However, the new Libyan government stands against these plans, denying reports about the presence of discussions for the appointment of a pro-Brotherhood minister of defense.

Political life hampered

The Brotherhood works to make one trouble after another with the aim of foiling plans for holding the general elections in Libya later this year.

The Brotherhood is afraid that the new political arrangements in Libya would force it out of the political scene in the country.

Nevertheless, the Libyan government is acting against these Muslim Brotherhood plans. The government’s spokesman said recently that the position of minister of defense would remain vacant in the coming period.

Observers believe, meanwhile, that attempts by the Brotherhood to appoint a minister of defense affiliated to it only aim at bringing confusion to the Libyan political scene.

The same observers expressed fears that a pro-Brotherhood minister of defense would only work to serve the interests of Turkey and other regional powers to which the International Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood is affiliated.

The minister of defense, the same observer said, has to come from the ranks of the Libyan National Army.

These debates come only a short time after militias besieged the hotel where the members of Libya’s Presidential Council meet.