The Presidential Council sent a letter to the head of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid Dabaiba, ordering the suspension of Acting Foreign Minister Taher Al-Baour from his duties and requesting that he nominate a candidate to assume the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in accordance with established procedures.

The Council explained that this measure came in the wake of an internal correspondence that included a mandate to manage the affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ office and the resulting performance of duties related to external communication and representation.

The decision is consultative, not unilateral

The Council affirmed that the filling of sovereign portfolios, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is conducted in accordance with the prescribed nomination and consultation mechanism, and not through unilateral decisions or administrative mandates.

It emphasized that this assignment, within its administrative limits, does not confer representative status, nor does it directly authorize actions exceeding the scope of the office’s administrative and organizational management, considering what occurred to be an overstepping of authority.

Requirement of Legal Status

The Presidential Council noted that established diplomatic norms dictate that external communication and official representation of the state may only be undertaken by those whose legal status has been established in accordance with approved procedures.

It also noted that the exercise of foreign affairs functions without authority risks disrupting official channels of communication and exposing the state’s diplomatic position to a state of overlap and lack of discipline.

It affirmed that this is based on the provisions of the Constitutional Declaration and the outcomes of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Geneva, as the regulatory framework governing the work of the executive authority.

The Presidential Council called on the Government of National Unity to take the necessary measures to nominate a candidate to assume the duties of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in accordance with established procedures.

It clarified that this is to ensure the Council is empowered to exercise its authority in a manner that serves the higher interests of the state, while adhering to the provisions of the letter from the date of its issuance.