NTC elects new head of Libyan interim gov't

Abdel Rahman el-Keb, a professor of Tripoli University, was elected Monday as Libya's new interim prime minister. El-Keb, also a member of the National Transitional Council for Tripoli, won 26 out of 51 votes, which was conducted in the presence of domestic and foreign journalists in the capital. "Libya is bigger than any individual and I will serve Libya and its people with may heart and soul," el-Keb said. An NTC official said there were originally eight candidates competing for the post, but three of them withdrew from the race before the public vote. El-Keb will replace Mahmoud Jibril, who has repeatedly said he would step down as the country's interim prime minister, officially known as head of the NTC's executive board, after NTC forces took full control of Libya. The ruling NTC declared "liberation" of Libya on Oct. 23, three days after former leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed in his hometown Sirte.