2nd LD: Libyan prime minister says to resign

Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni on Wednesday told a private TV station that he would officially hand in his resignation, after his cabinet was criticized as being ineffective.

"I officially resign and I will submit my resignation to the House of Representatives on Sunday," he told "Libya channel", a private TV station.

"People do not need to protest against me because I officially resign from my position. They can bring a new prime minister with magic to solve all the problems," he said.

Thinni's statement came hours after the UN-brokered peace talks among Libya's warring parties resumed in Geneva to address the Libyan conflict which has been raging since the 2011 turmoil toppled its leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country has witnessed a frayed political transition since then.

Thinni has been in office since March 2014. His cabinet has been dedicated to improving fuel resources and the security situation in the remote eastern city of Bayda.

Libya's eastern region has especially been hit hard by the fighting between Thinni allies and Islamist groups, which has choked off wheat and fuel imports and disrupted the power grid.

Thinni's government, now exiled in the eastern town of Tobruk, is internationally recognized, but was driven away from Tripoli a year ago after the capital was seized by Islamist armed groups that set up a rival administration. Endi