Effectively opening a new front in Libya’s deepening rift, a new, contested president of the country’s highest judicial authority was sworn in Sept. 18 before the powerful speaker of the eastern-based House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, in a move that threatens to further entrench the conflict by politicizing yet another key institution.
The ceremony came after Libya’s parliament approved a week earlier the appointment of Abdullah Burazizah to replace Mohamed al-Hafi, who has held the post until now. Yet the vote, reportedly unanimous, came during an opaque session held at the chamber’s headquarters in Tobruk that was embroiled in controversy over a likely lack of quorum.
