Libya's elected parliament fires central bank head

CAIRO — Libya's newly elected parliament on yesterday fired the president of the central bank after he tried to prevent funds that had been allocated for the lawmakers from leaving the bank, according to the country's official news agency.

LANA said that a total of 94 lawmakers out of 102 who attended the session voted to fire al-Sadek al-Kabeir, who had punished his own deputy for allowing the transfers. The deputy, Ali al-Habri, will now take up the post. It was unclear if any funds have already been transferred from the bank.

Libya currently has two rival parliaments and governments. One is elected but based in Tobruk, where it moved after Islamist-allied militias took control of the country's two largest cities. The second is the previous parliament in the capital, Tripoli, which is backed by the militias.

The takeover of the capital followed weeks of fighting among rival militias that forced nearly a quarter million Libyans to flee their homes and for some to migrate. It was the worst spasm of violence since the 2011 downfall of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

With the political situation deeply polarized, al-Kabeir had said on several occasions that the central bank should not get involved with militias and rival authorities.