Libya's new prime minister proposes new Cabinet

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) -- Libya's new prime minister says he has proposed a Cabinet representing the breadth of the country's political spectrum and including members of the main liberal and Islamist parties.

Ali Zidan told the National General Congress Tuesday morning that he tried to strike a geographic balance between different regions and cities, in order to avoid "past mistakes or provoke the street."

Zidan, a former human rights lawyer elected on Oct. 14, is the second prime minister to be named by the 200-member parliament. His predecessor Mustafa Abushaqur was dismissed after legislators found his Cabinet proposals lacking in diversity and putting forward unknown individuals for key posts.

The proposed 27-member Cabinet is now awaiting parliamentary approval, and faces a vote of confidence later in the day.

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