The Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba said he will not hand over power, except to an elected government.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Dbaiba affirmed his government’s commitment to ending the transitional phase, by emphasising the need for “fair electoral laws” that include all Libyan citizens.
Dbaiba highlighted his government’s dedication to achieving stability, and concluding the successive transitional stages in Libya.
“Our goal is to establish stability and end the ongoing transitional phases,” Dbaiba stated. He further expressed his vision for electoral reforms, “We seek electoral laws that are fair and inclusive, ensuring equality among all Libyans. This is essential for forming an elected government that truly represents the entire Libyan population.”
In November, Abdoulaye Bathily, the Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), initiated a proposal for a summit between the five key parties in the Libyan crisis. The summit aimed to resolve outstanding issues regarding the elections. However, Bathily criticised the attitudes of some Libyan leaders towards the initiative, in his latest briefing to the UN Security Council.
Bathily reported, “Dbaiba has nominated representatives from his government and shown a willingness to discuss the unresolved issues in the electoral laws, yet he has refused to discuss a change in government. Mohamed Al-Mnifi has openly supported the dialogue’s success. On the other hand, the Speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Ageela Saleh, has insisted that the focus should be on forming a new government and has rejected Dbaiba’s participation.”
He added: “Mohamed Takala presented three representatives to attend the meeting, despite his rejection of the draft electoral laws published by the Parliament. Khalifa Haftar, the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA) conditioned his participation on the inclusion of the government appointed by the Parliament, alongside the GNU.”
This development reflects the ongoing complexity and challenges in Libya’s political landscape, as the country seeks a path towards stable governance and democracy.