Speaker of Libya’s parliament warns of the impacts of deadlock

A speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives called for one government to exercise authority across Libya and for elections to be held as soon as possible, as reported by Libya Review on September 14th. 

During a House of Representatives session in Libya’s Benghazi, Ageela Saleh warned that the country could no longer afford delays as prolonged political division continued to weaken state institutions and the sovereignty of the country. He described Libya’s current state as being at a critical point and the prolonged political disputes are leading to a drained resource supply. 

Saleh stated “We do not have the luxury of time,” arguing that continued deadlock was no longer a dispute between competing sides but a threat to the functionality of the state. 

His solution to the crisis requires the forming of a single government with authority across the country and a faster paced pivot towards presidential and parliamentary elections. 

Libya currently remains divided between the outgoing Government of National Unity (GNU), and the government designated by the House of Representatives.

Disagreements at the hands of this division were described by Saleh as costly to the security of citizens, their living conditions and the accessibility of essential services. He also took a position against the delaying of political agreements for short-term gains. 

He pointed to the security challenges present in southern Libya, including irregular migration, smuggling and cross border infiltration, arguing that no single party would be able to address them without the unification of state institutions. Saleh said the House of Representatives had already issued legislation for presidential and parliamentary elections and approved the necessary election budget.

When speaking on the recent proposal produced by the 4+4 committee, Saleh said its provisions were broadly consistent with the House of Representative’s approach to the resolving of the country’s political crisis. He described the committee’s work as a welcome effort and called for its legislative amendments to be made through the House of Representatives. 

He said preparations for transferring power to newly elected authorities should begin immediately, alongside measures to create the conditions required for national elections. 

Saleh said the ultimate objective was to return political authority to Libyan voters, allowing for the choosing of the country’s president to be made by the citizens of the country. He concluded by calling on Libyans to resolve their disputes internally and build the future of the country without foreign interference. 

Libya Review, Maghrebi.org.