By Esam Mohamed : AP
TRIPOLI, Libya: Libya's independent body tasked with vetting top officials has approved a new foreign minister and two other Cabinet members.
 
The new Cabinet was sworn in earlier this month, but at least eight seats remain vacant for various reasons.
 
The Authority of National Integrity, tasked to ensure Cabinet members have no ties to the defunct regime of Moammar Gadhafi, approved Ali Suleiman Aujali as foreign minister. He was Tripoli's ambassador to Washington for two years until 2011, resigning the post during last year's civil war to join the opposition.
 
He must still be approved by parliament before he is sworn in.
 
Ministers for the agriculture and social affairs portfolios were also approved Tuesday, said Salah Bilnour, a spokesman for the body. It is made up of judges and civil society representatives.