On February 5, the Libya’s warring factions announced that a slate of candidates had been selected to lead the country until December when elections are expected to be held. Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, a Libyan businessman from the western city of Misrata, was named the interim prime minister. Alongside him as interim president will be Mohammad Younes Menfi, Libya’s former ambassador to Greece.



An interim government is still in the process of taking shape, but already foreign powers like Turkey and Russia are waiting to determine their next move.


Ivan Bocharov, a researcher at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) in Moscow said that the crop of candidates selected are political unknowns which lends to a lot of uncertainty as to whether they can succeed in their roles. Bocharov is not optimistic about their ability to win the trust of Libyans .


“I have a fear that the transitional government will not be respected among Libyans,” said Bocharov in a recent podcast with Turkey Abroad.