Libya transitional government gets UN seat
2011-09-16 21:37
New York - The UN General Assembly on Friday gave Libya's UN seat to the National Transitional Council which toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
The 193-member assembly voted 114 to 17 to let representatives of the council take over Libya's UN mission in the face of opposition from left-wing Latin American governments.
Some African nations called for a decision to be postponed.
The move allows interim government leader, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, to attend next week's UN gathering of world leaders in New York. Jalil is to meet US President Barack Obama and other key leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
A group made up of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and other left-leaning governments sought a vote to stop the NTC getting the UN seat.
Venezuela's ambassador, Jorge Valero, called Libya's rebel leadership "a group under the guidance of the United States and Nato which has no legal or moral authority".
The Southern African Development Community had called for a decision to be deferred to get more information on events in Libya.