Head of the Tripoli-based High Council of State (HCS), Khaled Al-Mishri, discussed the meeting that took place in Morocco, between Libya’s warring parties. He confirmed the meeting mainly dealt with the appointing of heads for Libya’s sovereign institutions.
Al-Mishri added that they had reached a preliminary understanding regarding the conditions, standards, and specifications of who would assume these positions. He pointed out that the HCS will hold a meeting next Thursday in Morocco, to sign the principles agreed upon in Bouznika, Morocco.
Al-Mishri praised the “Constructive role of the HCS in ending the country’s division and unifying its institutions.” He revealed that it was agreed that the Libyan Parliament would appoint the Governor of the Central Bank, in addition to three members of its board of directors. The HCS will appoint the Deputy Governor, and four members to the board of directors.
He noted that the position of governor of the Central Bank of Libya will not be named by the Parliament alone. “The High Council of State will participate in selecting the governor, according to a specific set of criteria. These arrangements are subject to a technical committee from the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.” He added that “The governor, under the Central Bank Law, cannot alone take any decision regarding the general policies of the bank. They must refer to the members of the Board.”
Al-Mishri accused the eastern-based Interim Government’s Central Bank of “Implicating Libya with debts of more than 50 billion dinars within one year, and printing counterfeit currencies. We (HCS) seek to reduce the central authority, and to allow the municipalities to make their own decisions,” he said.
He denied that the Speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Ageela Saleh, would head the next presidential council and accused the Parliament of obstructing the efforts of the HCS, “which seeks to make economic reform in the country.” Al-Mishri said that he had proposed to the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) that a referendum on the constitution takes place on 24 December. He stressed that there was no agreement to relocate the Headquarters of the government to Sirte. “Tripoli is the capital and will remain the capital. The upcoming government will operate from Tripoli.”
As for the Turkish support for the Government of National Accord (GNA), he said: “The political agreement gave the right to the GNA to conclude agreements and obtain weapons.” He claimed that Russian Wagner forces, and Chadian mercenaries were about to enter Tripoli without the Turkish intervention .
The delegates in Morocco had discussed the idea of withdrawing their military forces 30km from Sirte. A formal agreement currently remains unsigned.