On Sunday, the Head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Mnifi held a meeting with a tribal delegation to discuss the ongoing efforts to reinforce social peace, and facilitate national reconciliation in Libya.
Al-Mnifi welcomed a delegation from the elders and dignitaries of the Jawazi tribe. They reportedly affirmed their support for Al-Mnifi’s efforts toward stability and conflict resolution, through the holding of Parliamentary and Presidential elections this year.
Notably, members of the Libyan Parliament and the High Council of State (HCS) dissociated themselves from the 6+6 Joint Committee’s recent statements. The Committee claimed to have reached a final agreement on lingering issues related to laws governing the delayed elections.
Although the Parliament refrained from issuing an official stance, 61 MP’s accused the Committee of deviating from its mandate. They argued the committee’s task was to agree on contentious points relating to the Presidential elections.
The statement, which was also addressed to the UN Envoy to Libya Abdoulaye Bathily, criticized what it described as “numerous statements produced by the Committee” and accused it of “exceeding its mandate.”
They appreciated the Committee’s work and agreements reached, but simultaneously condemned the remarks made by some of its members, particularly those related to increasing the number of MP’s.
The MP’s called on the Committee to “refrain from intervening in Parliamentary seats by increasing or decreasing them, leaving that decision to the forthcoming constitution.”
In contrast, the Tripoli-based HCS has not issued any official response. However, 54 of its members also rejected the Committee’s outcomes in a statement, citing their “unconstitutionality,” and urged all forces to take the same stance.
The statement called on the UN to “respect the will of the Libyan people and its judiciary authority and refrain from dealing with bodies and committees under legal scrutiny.”l
