On 23 November, Government of National Unity (GNU) Prime Minister Abdul Hameed Dabaiba spoke at a Youth Forum in Misrata at which he attempted to distance himself from the Morality Police recently introduced by GNU Minister of Interior Emad Trabelsi. Dabaiba said there was no need for new policy on the enforcement of public morals as most Libyans are conservative by nature. He said Trabelsi had gone too far in ‘chattering’ about public morals and had provoked an empty public whirlwind of debate.
Dabaiba stressed that ‘We are against those who try to corrupt public taste or morals’, but made it clear that ‘we will not activate the (morality) police for the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice. We are far from (the need for) that, and we are with public freedoms and rights.’ He stressed that the new decree on public morals does not affect freedoms and liberties. It is there to fight those who want to introduce forbidden materials or behaviour such as (alcohol, drugs) sorcery.