Eastern Libya oil rebel rejects new government

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By Ulf Laessing and Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The leader of the protesters occupying Libyan oil ports said on Monday he did not recognize Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq's new government and suggested a previously agreed deal to end his blockade could be in jeopardy. Ibrahim Jathran, who wants more autonomy from Tripoli for his eastern region, had agreed with Maiteeq's predecessor to steadily end the protests, which have cut the OPEC member country's oil exports after the ports fell under his control last summer. Libya's parliament, the General National Congress, has been paralyzed by infighting among pro- and anti-Islamist, tribal and regional factions vying for influence in the chaos that followed the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. "If the parliament keeps with its decision on the new government, then we will take a different position than we have before." Keeping ports closed will be a blow to Maiteeq's new government, with the country's oil production down to 160,000 barrels per day (bpd) compared with 1.4 million bpd because of the Jathran blockade and other pipeline protests.




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