The elected mayor of Tobruk has taken a proactive step and decided to quit voluntarily before the tide of forced dismissals targets him.

Mayor Al-Naji Maziq asked the military governor of east Libya Abdelraziq Al-Nathori to sack him and appoint a military mayor for his city where the House of Representatives convenes.

Maziq said his successor must be strong enough to stop violations and random construction of houses inside the city.

The city has already declared a state of lawlessness after many people, believed to be affiliated with Khalifa Haftar's so-called "Libyan National Army," usurped state lands and properties.

Mayor Maziq has come under intense criticism from local residents after failure to tackle the violations. To preserve his dignity, he exploited the ongoing forced dismissals and decided to quit.

Meanwhile, elders from Suluq, a town 53 km to the southeast of Benghazi, have also asked Al-Nathori to appoint a military governor for their town, a step seen as propaganda by Dignity Operation to legitimize the forced dismissals of elected mayors in east Libya.

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