Who assumed power as Prime Minister of Libya in 1970?

Muammar Al-Gaddafi assumed power as Prime Minister of Libya in 1970.

He became Libya’s prime minister on January 16, 1970, several months after leading the September 1969 coup that overthrew King Idris I. Gaddafi was then a young army officer and chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, the body that governed the new Libyan republic.

The title can be misleading because Gaddafi’s real influence extended far beyond the normal role of a prime minister. He also served as defense minister and remained the revolution’s dominant public figure. His close associate Abdessalam Jalloud handled much of the government’s routine administration, and Jalloud eventually replaced Gaddafi as prime minister in 1972.

A common mix-up is the date of Gaddafi’s rise. He became Libya’s de facto leader after the 1969 coup, but he formally became prime minister in 1970. He later abandoned conventional government titles and ruled Libya as its revolutionary leader until his overthrow and death in 2011.