Bashagha was appointed Prime Minister by the HoR parliament, which is situated in Tobruk, but incumbent Dbeibeh rejected the appointment.
A gathering of Libyan joint operations forces has gathered in Libya's capital to back Abdul Hamid Dbeibah's claim to legitimacy as the country's leader, as the country's political rift becomes more severe.
Joint military troops from Misrata, Khoms and Zlitan marched into Tripoli's Martyrs Square on Saturday, bringing around 300 armed vehicles with them.
Earlier this week, the House of Representatives (HoR) parliament in eastern Libya, which is situated in Tobruk, appointed Fathi Bashagha as the country's new prime minister.
The incumbent Prime Minister, Dbeibeh, has rejected the plan and has said that he would continue in office until national elections are conducted.
The rationale for our participation in Libya, of course, is to ensure the survival of the democratic route that has been established there. In 2011, we were involved in the revolution because of the military's control; we do not recognize or accept the military's authority. The Joint Operations Force field commander, Colonel Ibrahim Mohamed, said that "we are here to protect international legitimacy and that our purpose is to maintain legitimacy."
An earlier statement from Dbeibah indicated that the Joint Operations Force was acting on his orders, and that they were tasked with "securing the government headquarters and vital places in the city."
Although Dbeibah's government had been tasked with preparing the nation for elections on December 24, 2021, the elections were called off due to heated disagreements over its legal foundation and the candidacies of numerous problematic individuals.
A year ago, the construction magnate was nominated to the position as part of the United Nations-led peacekeeping mission in the country. He has said that he would "accept no new transitional period or parallel authority" and that he will only give over power to an elected administration.
Two Misratans, Bashagha and Dbeibah, both of whom ran in the abortive presidential election, have received backing from competing armed organizations in the country's western regions.
Massive rallies took out on Friday in Tripoli and Misrata's major streets and squares in opposition to the House of Representatives' decision to form Bashaga's new transitional administration.
The protestors urged the overthrow of the House of Representatives (HoR) and the High Council of State (HCS), while also calling for the continuation of the National Unity Government, headed by Dbeibah, as its leader.
The demand was also made for election dates to be adhered to, in conformity with the Geneva Convention.
While this was going on, Khalid Mechri, the chairman of the Tripoli-based organization, accused Dbeibah's administration of "fueling a campaign against the parliament and HCS."
Following the decision in the House of Representatives, the United Nations said that it continues to recognize Dbeibeh.
The nation of Libya has been wracked by unrest since a NATO-backed uprising overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. A patchwork of armed factions are competing for control of the oil-rich country, which is riven by conflicts between its many regions.
Experts have expressed concern that the vote on Thursday would result in a rerun of the 2014 split, which saw two parallel administrations form.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
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