Bayda, August 18 (RHC)-- The prime minister of Libya's internationally recognized government, Abdullah al-Thani, has retracted his recent offer to hand in his resignation. "The prime minister didn't submit his resignation. He backed down from his previous announcement," AFP quoted Thani's spokesperson, Hatem el-Ouraybi, as saying on Monday.

The government is functioning as normal and is prepared to answer any possible questions from parliament, he noted. During a heated debate on live television on Tuesday, Thani announced that he would present his resignation on Sunday.

After the debate, Ouraybi said that the prime minister's comments had been conditional and that he meant "he would resign if people wanted him to."

Libya has two rival governments vying for the control of the country, with one faction controlling Tripoli, and the other, Libya's internationally recognized government, governing the cities of Bayda and Tobruk.