<p>Abdel Rahim al-Keib, an academic and wealthy businessman who is a native of Tripoli, was elected interim prime minister in a public vote carried out by the members of the National Transitional Council (NTC) yesterday night.<br /><br />Keib told a news conference shortly after beating four other candidates in the vote that he would set human rights as a priority.<br /><br />"We guarantee that we are going to build a nation that respects human rights and does not accept the abuse of human rights. But we need time," he said.<br /><br />Keib spent decades abroad as an opponent of Gaddafi before joining the pro-democracy revolution that overthrew him.<br /><br />He replaces Mahmud Jibril, who resigned three days after Gaddafi was captured and killed when NTC fighters overran his hometown Sirte on October 20.<br /><br />"This vote proves that Libyans are able to build their future," NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil said after Monday's vote.<br /><br />Under a political roadmap, Keib now has until November 23 to form an interim government that, parallel to the NTC, will run Libya for eight months after which elections for a constituent assembly will be held. <br /><br />At that point the interim government and NTC will disband, giving way to a "general national congress" that the constituent assembly will form to run the country until parliamentary and presidential elections are held.<br /><br />The appointment of a new prime minister came as the UN Security Council yesterday called on Libya's interim authorities and neighbouring countries to stamp out the spread of weapons from Gaddafi's stockpiles.<br /><br />Amid mounting fears that militant groups in Africa and beyond could get shoulder-fired rockets and other weapons from the Gaddafi cache, the 15-member council unanimously passed a resolution demanding the clampdown.<br /><br />Resolution 2017, drawn up by Russia, stressed international fears that the stockpile could cause unrest through Africa's Sahel region and fall into the hands of groups such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.<br /><br />The resolution called on Libya "to take all necessary steps to prevent the proliferation of all arms," especially man-portable surface-to-air missiles, MANPADS.<br /><br />Since the death of ousted despot Gaddafi on October 20, Libya's transitional government has found two chemical weapons sites hidden by the old regime, experts said.</p>
<p>Abdel Rahim al-Keib, an academic and wealthy businessman who is a native of Tripoli, was elected interim prime minister in a public vote carried out by the members of the National Transitional Council (NTC) yesterday night.<br /><br />Keib told a news conference shortly after beating four other candidates in the vote that he would set human rights as a priority.<br /><br />"We guarantee that we are going to build a nation that respects human rights and does not accept the abuse of human rights. But we need time," he said.<br /><br />Keib spent decades abroad as an opponent of Gaddafi before joining the pro-democracy revolution that overthrew him.<br /><br />He replaces Mahmud Jibril, who resigned three days after Gaddafi was captured and killed when NTC fighters overran his hometown Sirte on October 20.<br /><br />"This vote proves that Libyans are able to build their future," NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil said after Monday's vote.<br /><br />Under a political roadmap, Keib now has until November 23 to form an interim government that, parallel to the NTC, will run Libya for eight months after which elections for a constituent assembly will be held. <br /><br />At that point the interim government and NTC will disband, giving way to a "general national congress" that the constituent assembly will form to run the country until parliamentary and presidential elections are held.<br /><br />The appointment of a new prime minister came as the UN Security Council yesterday called on Libya's interim authorities and neighbouring countries to stamp out the spread of weapons from Gaddafi's stockpiles.<br /><br />Amid mounting fears that militant groups in Africa and beyond could get shoulder-fired rockets and other weapons from the Gaddafi cache, the 15-member council unanimously passed a resolution demanding the clampdown.<br /><br />Resolution 2017, drawn up by Russia, stressed international fears that the stockpile could cause unrest through Africa's Sahel region and fall into the hands of groups such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.<br /><br />The resolution called on Libya "to take all necessary steps to prevent the proliferation of all arms," especially man-portable surface-to-air missiles, MANPADS.<br /><br />Since the death of ousted despot Gaddafi on October 20, Libya's transitional government has found two chemical weapons sites hidden by the old regime, experts said.</p>