On Saturday, the General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar received the Libyan Parliament-designated Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha in Benghazi.
According to press reports, the two sides discussed the ongoing political process, and the Libyan government’s efforts to resolve the political crisis in the country.
This is the first meeting between the two since the Parliament appointed Bashagha on 10 February 2022.
The meeting comes several days after Haftar received the German Ambassador to discuss “a political solution to get out of the crisis.”
The two sides affirmed the importance of a political solution based on, and in support of the efforts of the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative, Abdoulaye Bathily.
Earlier today, a total of 65 MP’s in Libya called on the Parliament Speaker, Ageela Saleh to hold a plenary hearing session for Bashagha. This is to explain the reasons behind his government’s failure to assume its duties in the capital, Tripoli.
In a letter addressed to Saleh, the MP’s called for “a complete cabinet reshuffle of the Libyan government, not exceeding 15 ministries, so as not to burden the state with additional expenses. This also will be an opportunity to reunite the national consensus on one government, across the country.”
In May 2022, Bashagha decided to base his administration in Sirte, after an abortive bid to take the capital Tripoli by force, and unseat the incumbent government of Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December, and the refusal of Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.