LIBYA - DUELLING EMBASSIES IN MALTA

Monday, December 29, 2014, 11:39 Libyans hold protest outside Castille A small group of Libyan men this morning held a brief protest outside the Auberge de Castille in Valletta. [MALTA] The group, which supports the government installed in Tripoli, protested over the Maltese government's failure to recognise the Charge' d'Affairs operating from the embassy in Attard. [TRIPOLI GOVT = LIBYA DAWN = MISRATA = ATTARD, MALTA.] The Charge' d'Affairs supports the Tripoli government, which is based around Libya Dawn, a militant group from Misrata. Another charge' d'affairs, nominated by the recognised Libyan government - now based in Tobruk - is reportedly using consular offices in Ta' Xbiex. During the protest those who took part handed in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. They said they were surprised and hurt that the Maltese government had accepted an envoy of the 'illegal' Libyan Parliament as charge' d'Affairs of Libya. They insisted that this parliament had not achieved the 18% vote participation in the elections and lacked legal status in terms of the law, as confirmed by the Libyan Constitutional Court. [Tobruk] Those taking part in the protest carried placards reading: 'Respecting Libyan constitutional court sentence is respecting democratic rules and law.' Link:  http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141229/local/libyans-hold-protest-outside-castille.549981 OMG! Trying to get to grips with what's going on in these articles about Libya's embassies (I've read more than one) is doing my head in -- big time.  Intended to give up on trying to figure it out, but I can't not figure it out or I won't know what's going for next time. Made a mistake earlier.  Saw Castille and took it to be in Spain.  Couldn't quite figure why a letter was handed over to to the Maltese head of state (via the embassy), but I imagined it was to pass on and didn't question further.   Turns out Castille Valletta is in Malta.  Oops.  Might have to do some editing tomorrow.  So the article is saying that the 'internationally' recognised government hiding out in Tobruk is the government that didn't achieve sufficient votes (according to a Libyan Supreme Court decision), yet this government is accepted as a Libyan envoy by the Maltese government. Meanwhile, the Tripoli government (aka Libya Dawn, Mistata govt), composed of militants that were the anti-Gaddafi rebels (if I recall correctly), has appointed it's own charge' d'Affairs of Libya, operating from an embassy in Attard, Malta, which the Maltese government isn't recognising. ---------------------------------------- Further from another source: New head of the Libyan Embassy in Malta (and Charge d'Affairs of the Libyan internationally-recognised government (Tobruk), Al-Habib Al-Amin): Al-Habib Al-Amin, said: "I have also been asked to let you know that the man currently occupying the Embassy, Mr Misurati is doing so illegally as it is Mr Al-Habib Al-Amin [who is] the legal representative of the legitimate  government." At Libyan embassy in Attard [Malta] = Hussain Musrati (or Misurati) Libya's acting Charge d'Affaire. The acting Chargé d'Affaires at the Libya Embassy in Malta accused the Maltese government of interfering in Libyan affairs by accepting the appointment by the Thinni government of former culture minister Habib Al-Amin as Libya's ambassador to Malta. The Thinni government was illegal because of the 6 November decision by the Supreme Court which nullified the House of Representatives and therefore all its decisions were illegal, Hussin Musrati said. He has been acting Chargé for since 20 November. He claimed that Malta is supporting Mr Al-Amin who was appointed by the Libyan Parliament which has now been dissolved. In doing so, Mr Misrati said, Malta is not respecting the verdict of the Libyan Constitutional Court and this has created a serious precedent. Speaking at a press conference this morning, Mr Musrati said that the Supreme Court's ruling had to be accepted. Although Habib Al-Amin had not taken up the post - he has been in Tunisia where a close member of his family was reported to have been having an operation - Mr Musrati said that he had managed to take over the embassy's bank accounts and vehicles. This was theft, he said, and a complaint had been lodged with the Maltese police.  [Habib Al-Amin has Libya embassy bank accounts & vehicles *illegally* given Supreme Court ruling.] Mr Misrati further attacked Bank of Valletta which, he claimed, has allowed unauthorised persons to take control over the embassy's bank accounts. A court action will be lodged against the bank. Mr Musrati said that Omar Al-Hassi's "National Salvation Government" was in contact with several European and African states and would be recognised by them shortly as Libya's legitimate government.  The Salvation Government was currently in control of the area from Sidra Port on the east to the border of Tunisia and from the coastline in Tripoli all the way to the south. It was also in control of airport and military bases, he said. The Central Bank of Libya was also working with Hassi's government, he said. Saddek Elkaber, sacked as the Central Bank's governor by the HoR but still recognised by the Hassi administration, is now largely based in Malta.  http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-12-20/local-news/Libyan-claims-to-be-the-real-representative-of-the-real-Libyan-government-6736127653 What's the problem here?   Omar Al-Hassi / Tripoli (Mistrata, Libya Dawn) government has the territory and has the Central Bank, as well as recognition of European states and African states - as well as a Libya Supreme Court ruling that the Tobruk 'government' cannot make up a government, so where exactly the issue?   The Tripoli / Mistrata government sounds legit, so what right has Malta -- or anyone else -- to choose a government for Libya? ....................................................... On second thoughts, I'm wondering if I've got it straight after all.  Need to double-check the Central Bank detail.  Might have to return to this because I need to confirm who the National Salvation Government is and check on that al-Hassi guy's details.  Picked him up on a translated French Wiki, but there wasn't anything much there.   Don't have time for this right now.  Another crap, incomplete post.  LOL