By John Ikani
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah escaped an apparent assassination attempt early on Thursday when bullets hit his car, according to local and international media.
Dbeibah was on his way home when unidentified assailants ambushed him, shooting several rounds that struck his car.
The assassination attempt has been referred to the Prosecutor General for investigation, according to a report by Reuters quoting an unnamed person close to the Prime Minister.
The incident comes amid intense wrangling for control of the country between its eastern Parliament and Dbeibah’s Government of National Unity (GNU).
Rival factions have been vying for control of Libya, and a Parliament based in the east of the country is to vote later on Thursday on a replacement Prime Minister for a Government of national unity.
If confirmed, an attempt to assassinate Dbeibah could aggravate the crisis over control of Libya after he said he will ignore a vote scheduled by the eastern-based Parliament later on Thursday to replace him.
An election to choose a new Government was postponed last December but no vote is now expected this year.
Libya has been plagued with instability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising against former leader Moammar Gadhafi. The country now finds itself divided between warring factions in the east and west.
As part of a UN-brokered, Western-backed political process, Dbeibah — a powerful businessman from the city of Misrata — was appointed prime minister in February last year. The main task of his GNU was to guide the country toward national reconciliation and oversee elections.
Elections planned for December were canceled and the eastern parliament has said they will not take place this year either.
Since announcing a presidential bid that broke his pledge not to run in elections, he had become a polarizing figure.
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