The Speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Ageela Saleh praised Egypt’s “active role in reconstructing Libya and providing aid to improve the lives of Libyans.”
During a phone interview with Egypt’s Alqahera News TV, the Speaker said that the Parliament “accepts everyone’s advice, but there is no alternative to holding elections, as it is the real beginning of rebuilding Libya.” He affirmed that the task of the UN Envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily is to “bridge views to support the solution in the country.”
Saleh noted that “members of the upcoming interim government, which is entrusted with organizing the elections, are not entitled to run for the Presidential elections. The worst scenario for the Libyans is the failure to hold the elections,” he warned.
He pointed out that the 6+6 Joint Committee “has a final deadline to reach a consensus on organizing the electoral process.”
Saleh affirmed that the Parliament “is the only body competent to issue laws, and no other party has the right to interfere in this jurisdiction.”
He also stressed that the Parliament “rejects the presence of any foreign soldiers or foreign military bases in the country.”
Notably, he added that “a two-round Presidential election is a move designed to hinder and delay the electoral process.”
He revealed that, “so far, no official legislation from the 6+6 Joint Committee – which is responsible for overseeing the election’s regulatory aspects – has been received for consideration.”
Saleh voiced his concerns during a Parliament session in Benghazi on Monday.
He stated that “according to the 13th Constitutional Amendment, neither the Parliament Speaker nor the Head of the High Council of State (HCS) has the right to sign off on the outcomes of the Committee’s discussions on crafting electoral legislation.”
The Speaker further clarified that his trip to Morocco was “strictly to respond to an invitation aimed at garnering political support for the Committee’s agreement.”
Saleh asserted that “the Parliament has met its responsibilities concerning the electoral mandate. It has issued the constitutional base, and the 13th Constitutional Amendment, established the 6+6 Committee, and previously enacted the laws for the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.”
