Libyan Member of Parliament (MP), Abdel-Moneim Al-Arfi, said that the discussions of the Libyan Parliament Speaker, Ageela Saleh, and the new United Nations (UN) Envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily, focused on establishing a new government and Presidential Council.
In press statements, Al-Arfi added that the various political parties were convinced of the necessity of this, however the mechanism has not yet been determined.
The Libyan MP continued, “the House of Representatives (HoR) will hold a session on Tuesday to approve the unified salary scale law and the Internal Security Law, with the possibility of electing the second Deputy to Head the Council.”
On Friday, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to extend the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) for a year and urged key institutions and parties in the divided North-African country to agree on a roadmap to deliver presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible.
The resolution adopted by the UN’s most powerful body urged for “dialogue, compromise and constructive engagement” aimed at forming “a unified Libyan government able to govern across the country and representing the whole people of Libya.”
The resolution reaffirmed the UN Security Council’s “strong commitment to an inclusive Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process, facilitated by the UN and supported by the international community,” that leads to elections as soon as possible. It backs the resumption of efforts to resume intra-Libya talks to create conditions for presidential and parliamentary elections.
The UN Security Council also acknowledged the “significant role” of regional organizations including the Arab League and the European Union (EU), calling on all relevant Libyan institutions to carry out confidence-building measures to successfully hold the elections.
Libya’s current political crisis stems from the failure to hold elections in December 2021 and the refusal of Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba, who led a transitional Government of National Unity (GNU) in the capital, Tripoli, in the country’s West, to step down.
In response, the country’s East-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.
Bathily told the council Monday he plans to follow up on commitments by Libya’s political rivals at the end of a meeting last week. He reportedly highlighted the need to hold elections and ensure that the country has a single executive power as soon as possible.
He said he plans to talk to leaders of the East-based Parliament, the HoR, and West-based High Council of State (HCS) in the coming weeks “to understand” the agreements announced at the end of their October 21st meeting in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
The UN Security Council’s resolution underlined “the importance of an inclusive, comprehensive national dialogue and reconciliation process.”
The UN Security Council members expressed concern at the security situation in Libya, particularly recurring clashes between armed groups in the Tripoli region that have caused civilian casualties and damaged infrastructure.
They emphasised “that there can be no military solution in Libya” and called on all parties to refrain from violence.