The Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha was sworn in at the headquarters of the House of Representatives (HoR) on Thursday as a new PM and so were his cabinet ministers. Bashagha said as he took the oath that his government had started making arrangements to assume power in Tripoli by the force of law.

Bashagha indicated that he will work with all Libyans to achieve national reconciliation and justice, especially in cooperation with the HoR and High Council of State as well as the Presidential Council, saying he'll work hard to end transitional periods.

Bashagha condemned the unjustified escalation that led to the closure of airspace in Libya to prevent cabinet members from traveling to Tobruk to take the oath as well as the kidnap of some ministers by an armed group, referring to the detention of the Foreign Minister-designate and Culture Minister-designate in Misrata as they were heading to attend the HoR session.

Loyalists to Bashagha said the two ministers were kidnapped to be prevented from being sworn in as new government’s cabinet members, while as source from joint operations force that detained them said it was a misunderstanding at a routine checkpoint as guards of the two ministers opened fire so the force personnel fired back at them leading to their detention.

Sources from Tobruk said over ten ministers didn't show up to the swear-in session as “some of them are hesitant to take up their positions while others want out after the news of fabrication at the March 01 session of the HoR.”

The Minister-designate of Economy of Bashagha's cabinet Jamal Shaban rejected his position and nomination in a televised statement, saying he wouldn't be honored to be part of a government that brings war and destruction into the capital with awful consequences. He said the formation of the government at the last HoR session wasn’t transparent.