Libya: Deputy oil minister steps down

Libya’s deputy Oil and Gas minister Refat Al-Abbar has tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah citing personal reasons, Libya Observer reports.

Al-Abbar thanked Dbeibah for his trust and said he has been happy to take on the job over the last few months, working on solving problems in the oil and gas sector and exerting efforts to increase production.

Dbeibah’s cabinet last week lost confidence vote from the House of Representation (HoR), the country’s parliament located in Tobruk, eastern Libya.

The resignation, according to observers close to the cabinet, was driven by pro-Haftar personalities, especially that Haftar’s sons had been close to Al-Abbar whose appointment in Dbeibah’s government was made to satisfy to Haftar’s supporters when Dbeibah was looking for a positive budget vote at the House of Representatives in April.

Last month, Al-Abbar refused to back Oil and Gas Minister’s decision to suspend head of the National Oil Corporation (NOC).