Libya's Islamist party leader says PM failed

[October 12, 2013]  TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) -- The leader of Libya's Muslim Brotherhood political party says the country's prime minister -- who was briefly abducted by militia members earlier this week -- has failed and needs to be replaced.

Mohammed Sawan, leader of Justice and Development party, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Saturday from Benghazi that the parliament is "seriously searching for an alternative" to Ali Zidan. Sawan says mismanagement by Zidan's government might have led to "irresponsible actions" by individuals, referring to Zidan's kidnapping.

On Friday, Zidan blamed political rivals' militias of orchestrating his abduction, but didn't name them. Sawan says Zidan told his lawmakers that he didn't mean Muslim Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood came in second in the country's first parliamentary elections last year. It has five ministers in Zidan's government.

[Associated Press; By MAGGIE MICHAEL]

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