Unveiling of new Libya cabinet indefinitely delayed: NTC

BENGAHZI: The unveiling of a new Libyan government due on Sunday has been put off "indefinitely," Mahmud Jibril, the number two official in the National Transitional Council (NTC), said.

"The announcement of a new transitional government has been postponed indefinitely in order to finalise consultations," Jibril told a news conference in the eastern city of Benghazi.

"I hope that the consultations will be over quickly," he said.

Earlier Jibril had said that last-minute haggling had delayed the announcement of the new cabinet line-up.

Jibril, a former Kadhafi regime official, appeared unwilling to hold the news conference and only reluctantly agreed to address journalists.

"There has been agreement on many portfolios but there are still other portfolios which have not been debated enough and they need more discussions," he said.

"But I believe that an essential part of these consultations was completed today."

He said the NTC would also look into a list of "deputy ministers" in order to give a greater voice to women and young people.

"It has been generally agreed that youths and women should play a key role, at least as deputy ministers and directors general of cabinet ministries," he said.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011