Way forward in Libya after lost confidence vote unclear

After the UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) lost a vote of confidence in the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR), the Presidency Council agreed to present a new list of ministers within ten days.

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US have all called upon the HoR to endorse the new cabinet line-up within the time limit. A report on the issue continues:

Libyan authorities sent a new list of the team of the unity government to the House of Representatives for approval. In a joint statement, NATO allies praised the move, saying “members of the House of Representatives are responsible for taking the next vital step in implementing the Libya Political Agreement, which provides the only means to restore peace and stability in Libya.”If this is correct then the Presidential Council (PC) was able to reduce the number of ministries from 17 to eight as demanded by the HoR within less than a week. No information is given as to who the new choices are or as to when the PC met or the mechanisms they used to make decisions or even if the PC as a group even decided the issue.

The GNA needs a vote of confidence so that it can then unify the country under one government with the HoR serving as the GNA legislature. As it is now, the HoR does not recognize the GNA and has its own rival government headed by PM Abdullah Al-Thinni. It also has its own Libyan National Army headed by General Khalfa Haftar who does not recognize the GNA or its armed forces. Haftar demands that he be commander in chief of any new GNA armed forces. At the very least he would want a commander approved by him. At present, the PC serves the function of commander in chief. The present defense minister will probably not be on the new list as he is not approved by Haftar. The name Haftar is not even mentioned in recent statements on Libya by six western nations or by the UN,.

So far major media outlets are not confirming that the list has already been presented to the HoR but an Egyptian report provides its own version of what is happening:The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it welcomed the Libya Presidential Council’s proposal to appoint new ministers in the Government of National Accord (GNA). The proposal has been presented to the Libyan House of Representatives and is pending approval.Although the wording is a bit vague presumably the proposal is the new list of ministers. There again is no mention of the number but it appears that the list is "pending approval" by the HoR. Neither report suggests when the vote will take place. If the list is already submitted it could be as early as this Monday. No announcement of receipt of the list or as to any upcoming meeting has been issued as yet by the HoR.

Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) has arrived in Cairo for a two-day visit and is expected to meet with a group of officials in order to discuss the latest developments in Libya. No doubt Kobler wants Egypt to use its influence with the HoR and Haftar to convince them to sign on to the newly proposed cabinet. Most everyone applauds the proposal to present a new set of ministers for a vote of confidence by the HoR including the US as a recent tweet puts it: "US & others welcome #Libya PC decision to submit revised cabinet to HoR, chance to broaden inclusive GNA." As usual, no numbers are associated with the proposal.

The UN and many others constantly cite the importance of implementing the requirements of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA). Yet the UN and GNA have not received a formal vote of confidence from the HoR as required by the LPA. They have gone ahead and activated GNA ministries anyway which are now clearly illegal after the recent vote of confidence failed. Most everyone will ignore this fact.

The GNA has acted against the LPA in other ways as well. For example the LPA, according to section 8-f, mandates the PC to: "f. Conclude international agreements and conventions provided that they are endorsed by the House of Representatives. " The GNA has an agreement with the US for bombing missions but surely made no attempt to have HoR agree to this. There are no doubt plenty of other international agreements the GNA has made without the slightest attempt to have the HoR agree. Since the GNA has no legislature it has simply ignored this requirement. The HoR is also to approve the appointment of the Head of the General Intelligence Service according to section 8-b, but this has never happened. Stay tuned for the next scheme to avoid implementing the exact terms of the LPA.

12 former Gadaffi soldiers murdered after they are released from jail in Tripoli, Libya

The Presidency Council (PC) of the UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord led by PM Faiez Serraj, has condemned the murder of 12 former Gadaffi soldiers. The soldiers were just released last week by a court.

The PC ordered a formal investigation into the murders to find out what exactly happened and who was responsible.

At first, twitter was filled with all sorts of different accounts with some even thinking that it was simply a rumor spread by pro-Gadaffi outlets. However, there are now reports both by the Libya Observer and the Libya Herald that agree on many aspects of what happened including the figure of 12 bodies being found. Earlier accounts were as high as 17.

A press conference was held by a spokesperson for the Attorney General's office. He confirmed that 12 bodies were discovered yesterday. Six in Wadi Rabie near Ain Zara. Three had been thrown from a moving vehicle near the morgue at Tripoli Central Hospital, and a final three thrown in the same way near the morgue at the Tripoli Medical Center.

All 12 had been shot in the head according to a forensic doctor. The bodies showed signs of torture. There were another seven soldiers who were also ordered released but their whereabouts are not known.
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The killings are worsening the political situation for the GNA and presidential council as it has legitimized a number of militia. It is believed militia were involved. Ali Gatrani a  member of the PC also blamed the PC for creating the conditions for the murders to happen but claimed that he should not be blamed since he has been boycotting the PC. He suggested that the soldiers were killed in jail.
 
However, Ali Al-Saadi who is head of the prison where most of the soldiers were incarcerated claims that after the court decision the prisoners were released into their families' care and had left the prison with them. Strange that there are as yet no reports as to what family members of those murdered have to say about what might have happened. The prisoners were killed the same day they were released. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General(SRSG), Martin Kobler, also condemned the killings. 

The former soldiers killed and seven others had been accused of killing demonstrators in February of 2011.  Families of the protesters who had been killed filed a lawsuit against the soldiers who were part of the Revolutionary Work Team. The suit accused them of murder and torture. The case went to court in 2014 and took two years to adjudicate. A judge issued a resolution that all be released although their passports were to be handed over to the AG's office which the families did upon which the AG ordered them released. It remains unclear exactly what happened after that.

Supporters of commander in chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar, will no doubt claim that the killings show that Haftar is correct that the militia need to be disbanded and that the GNA is at the mercy of the various militia it supports. He wants to remain commander in chief of the army within the GNA, but the Libyan Political Agreement gives the role of commander in chief to the PC until a new commander is appointed.

Presidency Council of Libyan unity government decides to recognize eastern released currency

In an incredible reversal of policy, the Presidency Council of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) decided to honor the rival banknotes printed in Russia for the Bayda-based Central Bank of Libya.

The bank notes have different security features, watermarks, and serial numbers from the Tripoli-based Central Bank recognized by and cooperating with the GNA. Both the U.S. and the Presidential Council had come out with statements that characterized the eastern notes as counterfeit. A statement by the U.S. embassy said:

The United States concurs with the Presidency Council’s view that such banknotes would be counterfeit and could undermine confidence in Libya’s currency and the CBL’s ability to manage monetary policy to enable economic recovery.

There is only one Libyan central bank recognized by the UN, the GNA and most of the international community — the one based in Tripoli. If the PC recognizes the bank notes, in effect the GNA is in practice recognizing the Bayda central bank as well. It will be interesting what the U.S. and the UN have to say about this or if they just ignore it, as often happens when the facts are inconvenient.

Before the rejection of the eastern banknotes, GNA Prime Minister Faiez Serraj had given a TV interview in which he suggested the extra eastern money would help solve Libya's serious cash shortage. As a tweet puts it: "This Sarraj interview on #Libya TV blessing eastern CBL's money printing was *before* the US envoy and embassy declared it illegal yesterday." When the US declared the eastern money counterfeit there was a strong reaction on social media as this tweet notes:" #Libyan social media,particularly in the east,awash with Anti-America vitriol over US interference during cash crisis." Perhaps the change of policy is intended to signal a rejection of foreign influence.

The PC explains that it changed its position after a meeting with members of the finance committee of the HoR. It was apparently agreed that the two rival central banks would jointly supervise the issuing of the new notes and that they would be distributed fairly throughout the country. The PC's original objection supposedly was that the arrival of 4 billion more Libyan dinars would destabilize the currency and cause inflation. The PC claimed that there were already 24 billion Libyan dinars in circulation. However, there are not enough dinars in the banks and banks are limiting withdrawals. Libyans distrust the banking system. Many buy hard currencies. There are often long queues at banks of people waiting to withdraw money. The east has complained that the Tripoli-based CB does not distribute a fair share of new currency to the east and claims its new notes are needed to deal with its own constant cash shortage.

Serraj made it one of his priorities to end the currency shortage and liquidity crisis. He now claims the east's banknotes may ease the problem. The HoR has assured the GNA that its own bills will be made available throughout the country. Many fear that having its own currency would cause the east to take a more independent line. It is taking an independent line! The Libya Herald notes:The United States is unlikely to be pleased by the PC’s change of mind. Yesterday it said it was gravely concerned and shared the PC’s earlier view that the new notes would be forgeries that would destabilise the Libyan Dinar. It insisted that the international community only recognised the Central Bank in Tripoli.The eastern notes are not likely to be accepted internationally except perhaps by a few countries. The two competing notes are likely to have wildly different values when exchanged for other currencies such as the US dollar or the Euro.

Some members of HoR meet with Presidential Council of GNA

Deputy Presidents Emhemed Shouaib and Ehmeed Homa headed a House of Representatives (HoR) delegation that met with PM of the GNA Faiez Serraj and the Presidency Council (PC) of the Government of National Accord (GNA).

The HoR members were from the south. The Presidential Council (PC) said the meeting was organized in a bid to find a mechanism that would achieve "a high level of national consensus" and a "means of enabling the HoR in its role as the legislative authority" of Libya. Presumably this means the legislative authority of the Government of National Accord (GNA), as required by the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA). There is no mention of the necessity for an amendment to the constitutional declaration of 2011.

A new initiative was presented by members from the south, which according to the Liberal Herald is more neutral in the "east-west political tug-of war." While the article says the initiative concerned a vote of confidence in the GNA by the HoR, there were no details of the initiative given. Note that this meeting was not attended by the president of the HoR, Ageelah Saleh. It appears another ruse to get around having the HoR as a whole vote on the GNA. might be in the works. The new initiative is supposed to deal with the political reservations on each side. Notice the complete lack of transparency as to any details as to what is being suggested. I would not be surprised if it involves a violation of the Libyan Political Agreement. At the end of the meeting, Shouaib and Homa called on PC PM Faiez Serraj to deal with the proposal "with all seriousness and with a high spirit of patriotic responsibility."

The Libya Herald notes:The meeting shows a number of interesting things. Firstly, that the PC still recognizes the sole, legitimate, legislative authority of the HoR in Libya, despite the fact that in Tripoli it has started to act as a legitimate authority prior to its GNA being approved by the HoR.

The article claims that there have been contradictory statements from different HoR members about the HoR holding a meeting in the desert city of Ghadames on the western border of Libya. Fraj Abuhashim, official spokesperson for the HoR said "the organization continues for a HoR session to vote on GNA in Ghadames." However, Ageela Salah, HoR president and speaker said that the HoR could only meet in Tobruk and under his leadership. I wrote an article a while back on the issue. Kobler obviously wanted those members of the HoR ready to vote confidence in the GNA to meet in Ghadames. The meeting was to take place last Wednesday. Nothing but silence on the issue by Kobler. The opinions of the president of the HoR and the spokesperson for the HoR now contradict one another.

The Herald puts the split between the two camps in the east as follows: The pro HoR political forces in the east are split into at least two camps. On the one hand they support a PC/GNA in principle, but insist on it being protected by an independent-of-militias and so called ‘’Islamists’’ army in Tripoli. The pro Hafter and Federalists in the east insist on Hafter leading any Libyan National Army. To this end, the Hafter camp object to article 8 of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) and will not allow a vote to go ahead in the HoR approving the GNA prior to article 8 being dropped.However, those who accept the GNA in principle also demand that section 8 be dropped.

As the Herald notes, the State Council consisting of former members of the General National Congress are anxious to set up a new unified command without Haftar. In what is very much an understatement, the Herald sums up the problem with any new initiative:" It will be interesting to see how the new HoR initiative will square these, what seem, fundamentally mutually exclusive demands." If Haftar remains, then the GNA may fall apart with many members of the State Council and some from the Presidential Council leaving but if he does not remain the eastern part of Libya is likely to rebel and break off.

Meanwhile, the president of the HoR,. Ageela Salah, has lashed out at the Presidential Council(PC) for setting up a unified Operations Chamber claiming it can do so under the Libya Political Agreement that gives it the power of commander in chief. Salah claims the PC lacks that power since the HoR has not yet approved the GNA.

President of Libyan State Council asks Presidency Council to liberate Sirte from islamic State

Abdulrahman Sewehli, president of the State Council, has asked the Presidency Council of the UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA) to send forces to liberate Sirte and other places controlled by the Islamic State.

The State Council is a mainly advisory body composed of former members of the Tripoli-based Salvation government associated with the General National Congress (GNC). The president also urged the Presidency Council to request the UN Security Council to lift the weapons ban on Libya so that arms can be imported to fight the Islamic State or Daesh. The Presidency Council has nine members led by Prime Minister Faiez Serraj. Only seven of nine are at present participating in the Council. A State Council statement said that quick action was needed as the Islamic State was intending to expand its area of influence and attack oil facilities. The State Council noted that it was making its recommendation in line with clause 5 or Article 24 of the LPA to recruit a force led by professional military commanders from all over the country to capture Sirte. Clause 5 gives the State Council the power to propose policies and recommendations on combating terrorism, extremism, violence, and exclusion.

The Libyan National Army under commander-in-chief Khalifa Haftar is not likely to take part in any attacks organized by the GNA. Until the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR) formally endorses the GNA, the HoR and Haftar have refused to recognize it. Commanders loyal to Haftar are unlikely to join the force recommended by Sewehli, who is opposed to Haftar. He may be planning his own raid against the Islamic State as he has just received a large shipment of vehicles and ammunition. However, his plans are not certain. He may be intending to seize control of oil facilities guarded by his opponent Ibrahim Jodhran who heads the Petroleum Facilities Guards(PFG) at three main oil export ports in the east. He could even try to defeat the jihadists who control Derna. The Islamic State has just recently been driven out from the outskirts of the city. They retreated back to Sirte.

The State Council also recommended that once Sirte and other areas controlled by the Islamic State were liberated the Presidency Council should consider formally appointing heads of military and security services in accordance with Article 8 of the LPA additional provisions. There are two articles 8. According to the one in the additional provisions Haftar lost his job back on December 17 when the Skhirat agreement was signed and the Presidential Council took on the role of commander in chief. Of course this never happened. Haftar is still commander of the only Libyan National Army that exists, the one associated with the HoR. He was appointed by PM Al-Thinni. Al-Thinni, ironically, was interim prime-minister when Haftar loyalists burned down the parliament in Tripoli as part of Operation Dignity back in May 2014. See the appended video. At the time, Haftar was accused of an attempted coup and had a warrant out for his arrest. Bad guys can become good guys over time. Other examples, are Ibrahim Jodhran, head of the PFG. He used to be a bad guy who kept oil terminals closed and tried to ship oil illegally but now supports the GNA. The same is true of Sewehli, who was threatened with sanctions before as a spoiler but is now president of the State Council.

Haftar and his supporters fear that the PC will use their power to appoint someone other than himself as head of the Libyan National Army. As the Herald notes even the over 100 members of the HoR who supported the GNA in a statement demanded that the section be deleted. There appear to be irreconcilable differences on this issue between supporters of the GNA and the HoR who support Haftar. Kobler simply ignores this fact and constantly talks as if obviously a majority of the HoR support the GNA and only the spoilers are stopping everything from going as planned with a vote of confidence in the GNA. This is totally misleading.

The Presidency Council claims to have been warned by the National Oil Company (NOC) based in Tripoli that there could be further attacks on its oil facilities. The NOC also reported a rumor that former Gaddafi loyalists were cooperating with foreign militias to disrupt the oil industry.

The LNA led by Haftar may use the new shipment of vehicles and ammunition to launch its own attack on Sirte. If successful this would gain more territory for the HoR government as Sirte and surroundings are in an area surrounded by territory under the control of the GNA. Sewehli's call for an attack by the GNA is meant to ensure that Sirte and area come under control of the GNA. There is at least one tweet indicating that there are already moves from Misrata towards Sirte. Reports that several battalions from #Misrata are moving towards #Sirte to liberate the city from #ISISEvents in Libya are trending towards increasing conflicts between the GNA in the west and the HoR together with Haftar loyalists in the east. Kobler appears unable to find any solution to the conflict but insists on forging ahead to try and strengthen the GNA. In a recent interview he makes no mention of when or where the next meeting of the HoR to vote on the GNA is to take place.

Options for the UN if there is no vote of confidence in the GNA

The UN and the international community have been constantly urging the internationally recognized House of Representatives (HoR) based in Tobruk to vote confidence in the UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA).

The HoR has already twice failed to vote on the GNA and just this week also failed a third time as there was no quorum, according to a recent tweet.

An article by Mohamed Eljarh sets out some of the alternatives facing the UN and Libya in order to move the peace process forward. Eljarh is a Non-resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East.

Eljarh begins his article by discussing the session of the UN Security Council on February 2, where Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), discussed the situation in Libya. He notes that the discussion happened as the chances of success of the UN-led peace plan were minimal, as it was unable to implement the agreement signed by select members of the Libya Dialogue in Skhirat, Morocco, on December 17 last year: Although the majority of Libya’s stakeholders signed on to the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) under intense international pressure, the agreement lacks the political will and commitment from the factions who signed on to it.Eljarh does not produce evidence to show the majority of Libya's stakeholders signed the LPA. It is simply repetition of the almost "official" narrative. He fails to mention that none of the signers from the HoR or rival General National Council (GNC) were authorized to sign. Indeed, Makzhoum who signed for the GNC, left the negotiating team in August. Later, without authorization from the GNC, he listed the names of the members of the State Council. Neither the HoR nor the GNC approved the LPA but apparently they are among the minority of stakeholders. The factions did not sign on to the dialogue but members of the factions selected by the UN because they approved the LPA. The original dialogue was meant to create a GNA approved by both parliaments but Kobler ended up doing an end run around that basic aim and ended up with an LPA that was a non-agreement. Everyone cheered and approved the new UN project including the UNSC.

Eljarh remarks that Kobler pointed out the problems he faced in Libya including problems traveling to Tripoli and opposition to the LPA and GNA in Tobruk. Just yesterday three members of the UN temporary security committee were arrested at Mitiga airport in Tripoli, indicating Kobler has still not managed to work out security arrangements with Tripoli authorities. The GNC does not recognize the GNA. With the failure of the HoR to vote on Monday on the GNA, as Eljarh puts it:Supporters of the new government, the pro-LPA camp, and the United Nations seem at a loss on how to move beyond the current deadlock.

Eljarh claims that disruption by opponents prevented a Feb. 24 vote in the HoR and the Monday meeting could not vote because of the lack of a quorum. He says there was political pressure for pro-GNA members not to attend. Why does this pressure appear to be so successful? As Eljarh notes, 97 members of the HoR issued a statement in favor of the GNA. There must be plenty of pressure from Kobler and others to attend and vote. Originally 100 members were alleged to have signed the statement, but three claimed they did not sign. Eljarh does not mention this fraud. Eljarh describes the opposition to GNA approval:The endorsement faces increasing opposition by a group of parliamentarians who remain loyal to the Libyan National Army (LNA) and its leader General Khalifa Haftar. Two of the nine-member Presidential Council—the executive body that would lead the new government under the terms of the political agreement—Ali al-Qatrani (the LNA’s candidate in the council) and Omar al-Aswad (Zintan’s representative) have aligned with the anti-GNA parliamentarians, accusing the council of incompetence and undermining the military. They have called for a return to the original three-member composition made up of a prime minister and two deputies representing Libya’s three historical regions (Cyrenaica, Fezzan, and Tripolitania).The opponents say the increased numbers in the Presidential Council has led to infighting and fragmentation.

As Eljarh notes, Kobler has threatened to reconvene the Polltical Dialogue if the HoR does not vote on the GNA this week. It appears there will be no vote. According to Eljarh, the dialogue committed will reconvene in Tunis on March 10. Notice that these discussions still are not happening in Libya. Even though the failure to pass the LPA may start the whole process over again, this did not deter the HoR members from failing to carry out UN orders. Eljarh next considers what options the UN has in this situation.

The first option Eljarh describes as follows: "... the political dialogue committee would reconvene on March 10 by invitation from the UN envoy. The committee would then consider amending the political agreement and changing the composition of the Presidential Council from a Prime Minister, five deputies, and three ministers of state to the original Prime Minister and two deputy composition—a key change on which the opposition in the House of Representatives has conditioned its approval of the GNA cabinet. Such a change would open the door to replacing Prime Minister Faeiz Serraj and possibly his two deputies and undoubtedly anger Misratans over the loss of its only deputy in the Presidential Council, Ahmed Meitig."

While it is possible Serraj and Meitig lose their positions, it is not clear why they would given the difficulties this would produce, as Eljarh himself notes. Also, Serraj has already had considerable international exposure as a PM-designate. A different problem is that even with such an amendment, the LPA might not pass the HoR. No one seems to talk of Section 8, which the HoR wants deleted because it would give the job of commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army to the Presidency Council and take it away from General Khalifa Haftar. Is it to remain?

Eljarh's second option is to drop the requirement that the HoR approve the GNA cabinet. The approval could come from the dialogue committee. Eljarh does not say who is on the dialogue committee. Is it composed of whoever from the dialogue the UN invites? The UN could do the same thing as for the original LPA — just invite those who will vote for what the UN wants. But maybe that is not possible. Eljarh remarks: This change would require altering the agreement’s text to introduce this new mechanism, followed by a UNSC resolution to endorse the GNA cabinet, granting it international recognition and control over the central bank, Libya’s assets abroad, the Libyan Investment Authority, and the National Oil Corporation. However, such an option risks installing a government in perpetual exile, with no control or authority in eastern Libya or over the capital Tripoli.

What this is all about is the UN getting control of Libyan finances so it can use them to buy support and starve opposition governments of their finances. The GNC will not stand for this and the HoR might not either. If the GNA remains in exile it is hard to see how it could gain control of the central bank, or National Oil Corporation. Kobler, following the LPA, is anxious that the GNA be in Tripoli.

There is also the possibility of an option not directly involving the UN and that would be to pursue the Libya-Libya dialogue. However, the UN regards this process as inimical to development of the type of GNA it wants to see. They have regarded the Libya-Libya group as "spoilers." Eljarh thinks this dialogue could be strengthened if it gained the support of key external players. However, the group has always claimed it does not want foreign interference.

A final option is to support the advance of the Libyan National Army after its success in Benghazi. As Eljarh puts it:

 If the army’s leadership decides not stop in Benghazi, move westward to the Libyan oil terminals, and eventually seize Sirte, these developments would mean gradual takeover by the Libyan National Army in eastern Libya as it becomes more popular in the eyes of its people. Preparations for such moves are already underway. This could potentially lead to the institutionalization of Libya’s partition between two major power centers: one in the east dominated by the LNA and one in the west dominated by a number of powerful groups from the cities of Misrata, Zintan, and political Islamist groups in Tripoli.This could possibly come to be. However, there are at least two problems. The Guards of the oil facilities are headed by an opponent of Haftar, Ibrahim al-Jadran. Sirte and nearby IS controlled areas are surrounded by territory controlled by the GNC and there might be considerable resistance to Haftar taking over Sirte. Eljarh remarks that all of the options have problems but he has done a good job in laying out some of the possibilities to be pursued in the near future.

GNA Prime Minister-designate Serraj attends Indonesian meeting of heads of Islamic countries

As has been happening for some time, the international community continues to act as if the UN-supported Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) is already up and running.

According to the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) signed in Skhirat, Morocco, on December 17, 2015, the GNA term does not begin until the LPA is approved, and the GNA is given a vote of confidence in the HoR. An amendment to the Constitutional Declaration is also required. In spite of two attempts the vote has yet to take place. There may be a vote on Monday in Tobruk or perhaps in Benghazi, but no formal announcement has been made.

In spite of this, the Indonesian government invited Faiez Serraj, the Prime Minister-designate of the GNA, to attend a special summit of heads of state from the 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation held in the capital Jakarta. The head of the recognized government of Libya is Abdullah Al-Thinni and the government is located in Tobruk. The GNA appears to be still in Tunis, but until it is given a vote of confidence does not really have legal status.

While the meeting is mainly about issues such as the expansion of Israeli settlements, and Israeli attempts to prevent Muslims from praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Faiez is expected to lobby Muslim leaders to support the UN-endorsed GNA and the fight against terrorism in Libya. Serraj will also urge the leaders to back moves to drop UN sanctions against the sale of arms to Libya.

Faiez is not the only member of the GNA to be meeting with international officials. Ahmed Maetig, a deputy prime-minister designate, has gone to Rome for talks with Italian officials to determine how Italy can help support the GNA and advance security in Libya. Italy has offered to take the lead in any military operation requested by the GNA and approved by the UN. Italy is reported to be willing to send up to 5,000 troops to Libya, even though some warn that Italian troops on the ground could backfire. Italy once ruled Libya and still has considerable commercial interests there.

Two kidnapped Italian oil workers in Libya were just recently released from near Sabratha as forces loyal to the Tripoli government raided the building where they were held. The two claimed they were mentally devastated by their experience. Another two who were kidnapped at the same time were killed when the building they were held was attacked by security forces.

Attempts made to revive Libya-Libya dialogue

- Five members from the internationally-recognized House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk flew to Tripoli in a move to revive what is called the Libya-Libya dialogue.

A five-member delegation from the House of Representatives has arrived in Tripoli hoping to revive the “Libya-Libya” dialogue launched in December 2015. The group was active around the same time as the UN-brokered Libya Political Agreement (LPA) was signed in Skhirat, Morocco, on December 17. Neither the HoR nor the rival government in Tripoli, the General National Congress (GNC), signed the LPA. The Libya-Libya dialogue was designed to achieve a political solution through negotiations only with groups from the rival parliaments, without the mediation of the UN or foreign pressure. The group appeared to lose momentum and relevance once the Skhirat agreement was signed and the process of setting up the Government of National Accord (GNA) associated with the LPA forged ahead. However, now that the GNA and its supporters have been unable to gain a vote of confidence in the HoR, the alternative represented by the Libya-Libya dialogue appears to be making somewhat of a comeback.

Back in December the presidents of both the GNC, Nuri Abu Sahmain and of the HoR Ageela Salah met in Malta but now Salah seemingly supports the GNA. The GNC and its leadership, however, have continued to champion the dialogue.

The leader of the HoR delegation is Benghazi HoR member Ibrahim Amaish. Along with GNC deputy president Awad Sadeg, he negotiated and signed the proposal setting up the Libya-Libya dialogue. As with the LPA, the Libya-Libya dialogue proposal sees a unity government as helping to solve the Libyan crisis. As a short term measure the 1963 Constitution would be amended. The HoR team expects to spend a week in Tripoli for talks with the dialogue committee headed by Sadeq but also with the National Accord Council. The Council was set up to further the dialogue. There is also a 21 member committee set up to help advance the dialogue.

Supporters of the UN-brokered GNA consider the rival Libya-Libya dialogue as a move to derail the formation of the UN-brokered government and have been hostile to the group. However, the failure of the GNA to gain a vote of confidence amid obvious divisions within the GNA and HoR make the Libya-Libya dialogue more attractive to some. The Libya-Libya dialogue group may even adopt some of the ideas incorporated in the GNA such as having a presidency council. The group expects to name ministers in a national unity government and develop plans for national security in the talks this week. The Libya Observer also has a report on the arrival of the delegation and its mission.

Among the supporters of the Libya-Libya dialogue is the Grand Mufti recognized by the GNC. He has regularly championed the dialogue while condemning the UN-sponsored dialogue and agreement. Ali Salabi, political mentor of the Muslim Brotherhood, also endorsed the Libya-Libya dialogue. Salabi said Libyans should unite against the threat of the terrorism of the Islamic State by forming a unity government on their own rather than having one "appointed by foreigners" who were not interested in the good of Libyans. In a statement from Tripoli Salabi said: I don’t think there is any solution to the Libyan crisis but overall reconciliation, away from intervention by foreigners who do not want good for Libya.The war on terror needs a national unity government backed by all Libyans with a clearly defined mandate which is also prepared to cooperate with the international war on terrorism”.In contrast, Mohamed Sawan, who heads the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Justice and Construction Party, explicitly backs the GNA. In conversation with Peter Bodde, the U.S. ambassador to Libya he claimed to be in favor of the GNA and thought the HoR would ultimately approve it.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/politics/attempts-are-being-made-to-revive-the-libya-libya-dialogue/article/459121#ixzz42Fpcbc8M

Libyan GNA Presidency Council may be reduced from 9 back to 3

The Libya Observer reports that the UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA) may have a reduced number in the Presidency Council when it comes up at the next vote of confidence by the internationally recognized House or Representatives (HoR).

The Libya Observer reports that during a meeting in Cairo, Ageela Saleh, president of the HoR and prime minister-designate of the Government of National Accord, agreed to amend the constitutional declaration to include the GNA and afterwards discuss approval of the GNA and Presidency Council. The Council now has nine ministers but would be reduced back to three as in the original declaration signed back on December 17. The Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) Martin Kobler has often said the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) cannot be amended but the number in the Presidency Council appears to be an exception.

The paper also quoted a supposedly well-informed source as saying: "They also agreed to form a new cabinet which can be larger than the previous one in order to please most of the social actors." The meeting was said to be sponsored by the Egyptian government and was monitored by Martin Kobler. There are often meetings of key players in having the GNA approved with Egyptian officials. As well as Kobler, Saleh and Serraj, General Khalifa Haftar, head of the armed forces of HoR government the Libyan National Army (LNA), has also met with Egyptian officials.

The next meeting of the HoR could be as early as Monday but no specific date for a meeting has yet been mentioned by the Libya Observer, a paper that generally supports the rival Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) nor its rival the Libya Herald which generally supports the UN GNA. The Libya Herald has not yet mentioned the changes to the GNA mentioned in the Observer. Kobler has issued a news release urging the HoR to formalize a statement by 100 members of the HoR approving the GNA. However, the UN has said nothing about the date of a next meeting or even if the formalization is in effect a vote of confidence in the GNA as required by the LPA.

The Libya Herald reported that Mohamed Sawan, who heads the Justice and Construction Party (J&C) fully supports the GNA. The J&C is associated with the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood. He made the statement in a meeting with US Ambassador Bodde. Bodde expressed U.S. concern about the growth of the Islamic State in Libya. The head of the J&C in the GNC, Nizar Kawan, was also at the meeting. While the party supports the GNA some members apparently do not. Sawan also claimed the views of the 100 members of the HoR who signed a statement supporting the GNA reflected the views of a wider majority. We should know by tomorrow what will happen next if anything.

One hundred HoR members sign statement supporting GNA

The first official reports from yesterday's meetings claimed the meeting had to be adjourned because there was not a quorum to vote.

The official story is represented by an AFP report:

 Libya's internationally recognised parliament was unable to hold a vote of confidence in the UN-backed unity government Tuesday because it lacked a quorum, amid concerns over increasing jihadist expansion.

Later, we have a good guys, bad guys narrative in which ten Cyrenaicans/ Federalists, the bad guys, stopped the good guys, who approved the GNA from voting. This view is pushed in the Libya Herald by Sam Zaptia, citing several members of the HoR. According to this view, there was a quorum but the bad guys prevented a vote. Apparently, the HoR has no security able to prevent the mighty 10 bad guys from doing their dastardly deeds and blocking the powerless good majority from voting. One hundred members are said to favor the GNA but are completely overpowered by the mighty 10 spoilers who want to stop them. Such is the power of evil.

However, the good guys are fighting back, as Sam Zaptia reports in the Libya Herald that the member from Misrata, Mohameed Raied said of the bad guys:‘This group continued in its insistence on preventing the session taking place by force forcing about a hundred member into expressing their views through the signing of a list (attached) granting confidence in the (GNA) government’’.

This narrative is picked up by other media such as the Middle East Eye which notes that 100 of the HoR 176 members signed a petition saying that they were "forcibly prevented" from voting after receiving threats. The Middle East Eye continues to repeat the earlier narrative about their being no quorum: The parliament, located in the eastern town of Tobruk, was unable to hold the vote on Tuesday for the new government line-up because it lacked a quorum.The 100 lawmakers want to find an appropriate place for a new parliament session because it has become impossible to hold one in Tobruk.

The HoR will be the legislature of the UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA), according to the terms of the LPA. Security cannot be provided for an HoR session in Tobruk where the Libyan National Army holds sway. Once the GNA has a vote of approval, Martin Kobler and the prime minister-designate, Faiez Serraj, insist that the GNA move to Tripoli that is controlled by the rival General National Congress (GNC) government and its associated militia the Libya Dawn, both of which oppose the GNA. How do they expect to hold sessions there when they cannot even hold sessions in their home territory?

Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) who seems to suffer from a severe case of moral diarrhea in his rhetoric, issued his standard plea to help him get the GNA up and running. He also gives his usual moral lecture:"I am concerned about many reports of intimidation and threats against HoR members. This is unacceptable. Parliamentarians have to decide freely. The HoR leadership has the responsibility to ensure that the parliamentary process is unhindered and conducted in an environment free from threats or intimidation, according to democratic principles," said the UN Envoy for Libya.No mention in his press release of Khalifa Haftar nor of Section 8 of the LPA. Someone should ask him whatever happened to the EU sanctions that were supposed to be imposed upon Khaifa Haftar by the EU or why French Commandos now appear to be working with Haftar forces in Benghazi. Although Kobler and Faiez Serraj have met with Haftar, Kobler usually does not mention his name even though he is the key in much that is going on at present.

In his press release, Kobler "Calls on the leadership of the House of Representatives to formalize the declaration of the majority of its members approving the Government of National Accord." This is simply weird. What is it supposed to mean? Why does he not tell the HoR to do as the LPA demands move a vote of confidence in the HoR? At the end of his paean of praise for those who signed the document he says that the leadership of the HoR should take steps to formalize this endorsement. Is this just some roundabout way of demanding a vote or is it actually intended to describe some other process of formalization? Maybe Kobler can do as he did earlier when he bypassed the LPA being approved by either parliament. He just gathered together all those who favored the GNA and had them sign the LPA at Skhirat on December 17th last year. Perhaps now he will simply gather together all those who want to approve the GNA and have them formally sign something. He can designate someone from the HoR to be the chief signer for the HoR even though the person has no authorization from the HoR. There is always a way around these difficulties faced by the GNA because international cheerleaders will immediately applaud and the UN can pass a resolution of praise and support even though the process of getting the GNA approved might violate the LPA. However, maybe Kobler will develop some other plan. So far it seems he lacks a plan.

New GNA not to be voted upon until Tuesday February 23rd

Even though the new Libyan Government of National Accord was announced on Sunday and the internationally-recognized House of Representatives met at least briefly on Tuesday, the vote of confidence is postponed for a week.

The new GNA with 13 ministries plus five state ministers was announced late on Sunday. The list did not reach the HoR in time to vote Monday but it appears they met on Tuesday. However a recent report from the Libya Herald claims the vote is now postponed for a week. It appears the result would not be what the UN and the international community want. The postponement is explained by the Herald as follows:

The House of Representatives has agreed to a request by prime minister-designate Faiez Serraj to delay discussing his new list of ministers for another week. He asked for the delay after two of the ministers who had been chosen withdrew their nominations.Imagine, people were named ministers without getting their approval first. This is par for the course in a process full of irregularities missed deadlines and deliberately ignoring terms of the Libyan Political Agreement(LPA). The new deadline for approval of the GNA has now passed but of course no one cares. What is important is that the new GNA somehow gets up and running so it can legitimize foreign military intervention in Libya. Yet there is another week's delay at least before this can even begin.

The week's extension had conditions including that Serraj turn up next Saturday in Tobruk with an amended list together with CVs of the ministers and his agenda for the government so that the GNA can be voted on next Tuesday. Does this mean that the list came with no CV's before and with no government agenda? The latter is a requirement of the LPA. The HoR also said that if the deadline were not met that the HoR would reject the GNA and the Presidency Council.

Some sources in the HoR also said that the group has reservations about some of the ministers, especially Mohamed Siaia who was chosen as foreign minister. Critics claim he continued to support the Gadaffi regime long after the start of the revolution. The members of the GNA from the General National Congress (GNC) government should have been even more reluctant to accept Siaia but apparently agreed to him being chosen. Some are suggesting that when the list comes to a vote, the HoR is demanding that there be a separate vote on each minister rather than voting them all in as a group, as no doubt the UN and GNA would want.

Serraj is said to be in Cairo having talks with Egyptian officials. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Martin Kobler, is also said to be in Cairo to have talks with Egyptian officials. Kobler was all praise for the work of the GNA Presidency Council and congratulated them on the new list which he considered a major breakthrough and promised what he called a new beginning for Libya. He then called on the HoR to give a vote of confidence in the GNA. Kobler even said of the HoR that "it's now their responsibility to save their country from the scourge of further conflict and destruction. This is an historic opportunity for peace that should not be missed". This is typical of the vapid, optimistic, moralizing rhetoric completely divorced from reality that is characteristic not only of Kobler but of his predecessor Leon. Behind the scenes Kobler and Faiez are no doubt busy trying to buy off dissent and push through the GNA. Apparently Egypt and their president Sisi is key to developing events. Sisi is a strong supporter of Khalifa Haftar. Somehow the whole issue of Section 8 of the LPA which takes away Haftar's job from him has left the radar of the news media and everyone else who counts even though it is a crucial ingredient in this stew.

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New line-up for Libyan Government of National Accord announced

Late today, February 14, the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord (GNA) announced a revised lineup for the new government.

The Presidency Council was given an extra five days to prepare the new list and has just made the deadline. There will be 13 ministers plus five ministers of state. The list now goes to the internationally-recognized House of Representatives for a vote of confidence. An earlier list of 32 ministers was rejected by the HoR as being too large.

In a sign of continuing division within the GNA, two of the nine members refused to sign on to the new list. The formation of the GNA has suffered repeated delays. Majbari a member of the Council said: "We call on Libyans suffering from the fighting ... and the members of parliament to support the Government of National Accord, which will provide the framework to fight terrorism." The new GNA will replace the two rival governments. The internationally-recognized government the House of Represenatitves (HoR) is located in the east in Tobruk. The General National Congress (GNC) government is located in Tripoli in the west. The GNA would replace both but the legislature of the HoR will be the legislative body of the new GNA.

However the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Martin Kobler, wants the new government to be located in Tripoli. The headquarters of the Libyan National Bank and the National Oil Company are there. Reuters claims western governments back the new GNA so that it can call in international support when and where it is needed.

The prime minister designate, Faiez Serraj, said the latest appointments, many different than the earlier ones, took into account "experience, competence, geographical distribution, and the political spectrum and components of Libyan society." The defence minister named is the same as on the last list, Mahdi al-Barghati. Al-Barghati is a leader in Operation Dignity an operation begun in May 2014 by Khalifa Haftar to rid Libya of Islamists including the Libya Dawn militia that supports the GNC. Nevertheless, Al Barghati is at odds with Haftar and appears to be accepted by members of the GNC within the GNA. Although Kobler has not yet issued a news release on the new list, he congratulated the Council on Twitter and said that the Libyan people were on there way to peace and unity.

Sputnik reports only a 13 member government quoting the Al Arabiya news network. It notes that three women are included in the new list. The report does not mention the additional 5 ministers of state.

ABC news notes that the new government could eventually seek international military intervention against the Islamic States but cautions that the new GNA needs to have a vote of confidence from the HoR. This could happen as early as Monday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had spoken with the Faiez Serraj last week urging him to submit a new list soon. Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libyan permanent envoy to the UN tweeted that the new cabinet had many people close to the Gadaffi regime and could be rejected by the parliament. Many western governments are eagerly awaiting formation of the new government since they hope the government will ask for military intervention. However, there are already many special forces already operating in Libya.

There is no mention in any reports about the issue of Section 8 in the main text of the LPA that would give the job of commander in chief of the Libyan National Army to the Presidency Council rather than Khalifa Haftar immediately upon the HoR vote of confidence. Perhaps the idea is to just ignore the section as if it did not exist. The press and the Presidency Council has already done this with respect to the section 8 in the additional provisions. It appears easy to ignore these issues and the press simply follows along obediently. The HoR had demanded that Section be deleted before they would accept the LPA. This is impossible. Nevertheless the issue appears to have disappeared.

GNA misses another deadline for vote of confidence by the Libyan HoR

The internationally-recognized House of Representatives (HoR) government was to meet yesterday to give a vote of confidence in the UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA).

Members of the HoR, including a number who had been boycotting sessions, gathered in Tobruk for the vote. However, the GNA Presidency Council, who had been meeting in Skhirat, Morocco, to produce the new slate of ministers of the GNA, failed to come to an agreement on time. The HoR representatives had no list to vote on.

This is the second time the GNA Presidency Council, led by Prime Minister designate Faiez Serraj, has failed to meet the deadline for submission of the names. The original list of 32 members was presented to the HoR a day late and was rejected for having too many ministries, 32 in all. It also rejected approval of the UN-brokered Libya Political Agreement, from which the GNA derives, unless a section is deleted that would remove the present commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA) from his job. The Presidency Council itself would take on the position of commander-in-chief of the LNA. However, the LPA can be amended only after it has a vote of confidence from the HoR on the LPA as it is now. Khalifa Haftar, who is commander-in-chief, probably still has enough power over the HoR to see to it that there is no vote of confidence unless he retains his position or there is some deal worked out that satisfies him.

In a recent news release by Martin Kobler — the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) — in Libya, urging the vote of confidence in the GNA, he makes no mention of a deadline but stresses the importance of quick action. The GNA takes the position that the deadline of 10 days started when it received the letter from the HoR rejection of its earlier names. The deadline is today, but there is no sign that the list will be complete today.

Irregularities in the process of creating the GNA mean nothing. Indeed, the HoR has no legal standing since its mandate ran out last October. The important big powers recognize it and that is all that counts. The legal status of the HoR never even comes up and is outside the frame of discussion, as is the fact that Libyan Supreme Constitutional Court in November 2014 ruled that the election creating it was unconstitutional and the HoR should be dissolved.

The GNA has not been able to appoint a defense minister acceptable to supporters of Khalifa Haftar. Haftar refuses to negotiate with or even consider a ceasefire with the Libya Dawn militia the armed forces of the rival General National Congress(GNC) government based in Tripoli in western Libya. His supporters insist that either he or someone he favors be appointed defense minister. Members of the GNC who signed the LPA would never agree to this and so far there has been no solution that would allow for any agreement on an appointment.

The conflict is not just between the GNC and HoR members — there is also conflict within the HoR camp. There is conflict between Ali Gatrani, a deputy prime minister and strong supporter of Haftar, and another member from the east, Fathi Majberi. Majberi is a close ally of Ibrahim Jodhran, the head of the Petroleum Facilities Guards, a bitter opponent of Haftar. Ali Gatrani is threatening to suspend his membership in the Presidency Council again if he does not get his way. Ali Gatrani said that factional and regional interests were holding up a decision on the new cabinet: "The Presidency Council is made up of 9 people; they are supposed to represent all Libya, but frankly speaking they all either represent parties, individuals, or private ideologies. Most sovereign ministries will be in Tripoli which we refuse."

The Libya Herald reports:In an attempt to diffuse the problem the Council is reported to be looked at a number of alternatives. These are that Prime Minister-designate Faiez Serraj take on the defence ministry himself, that a committee be set up to assume to functions for three months, or than no one be appointed to the post at present.Earlier the Council decided that the defense ministry would go to someone from the south, but that plan seems to have been abandoned. Southern representatives in the HoR might as a result decide to vote against the GNA.

The Herald also claims those opposed to Haftar have agreed to defer the issue for now but have made it clear that they would not accept him having any role in government. It also claims the HoR would almost certainly refuse to approve a government that includes him. I do not know where the Herald gets this last idea. Haftar appears to have control of the HoR. No doubt, due to pressure from the UN, the Council has agreed that at least three of the ministers be women. The Presidency Council has asked for another 10 days to name those in a new GNA government.

Divisions increase within Libyan Government of National Accord

Divisions are increasing among parties to the UN-brokered Government of National Accord on the issue of allowing General Khalifa Haftar to keep his job as commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

The internationally-recognized Libyan House of Representatives(HoR) met recently and rejected the GNA. The GNA officials are to come back with a reduced list of names for cabinet members within a few days. The HoR also approved the LPA but only if section 8 were deleted. There are actually two sections 8, as explained in a recent article. One in additional provisions gave the senior officials, the Presidency Council of the GNA the role of commander in chief of the LNA back on December 17 when the LPA was signed. This section appears to have simply been ignored by almost everyone without explanation or even noting its existence. The other provision in the main text gives the role to the Presidential Council immediately upon the approval of the GNA by the HoR. A vote on the issue as well as on other issues should come within a few days. However, it is not at all certain the HoR will give a vote of confidence in the GNA unless they have ironclad assurances that Section 8 will be deleted

Ten leading political figures, including Salah Makhzoum, deputy General National Congress president, said the HoR cannot unilaterally amend the LPA to delete Section 8. Makhzoum was one of the main signatories of the LPA from the GNC. However, he was not authorized to sign by the GNC and had left the GNC negotiating committee in August while the deal was signed in December. Another signatory to the statement was Mohamed Sawan leader of the Muslim Brotherhood's Justice and Construction Party. The group no doubt sees the GNA as a means of having a new commander of the LNA not committed to fighting against Islamists and more tolerant of the Brotherhood. The party was already split on agreeing to the GNA. The recent HoR vote and also a meeting between Haftar and the designated GNA prime minister Faiez Serraj will create even more pressure for them just to abandon the GNA. The statement was also signed by Misrata member Belgassem Gzeit. Kobler was able to split off some Misrata militia and politicians from rejecting the GNA as members of the GNC and Libya Dawn militias have done. Finally, Mohamed Ammari also signed the statement. Ammari had just suspended his membership in the GNA, in protest at Serraj's meeting with Haftar. Even Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General(SRSG) for Libya pointed out that the LPA can be amended only after the HoR has given a vote of confidence in it as it is.

The Libya Observer also reports on the statement, noting the group members are all signatories of the LPA. The group urged the Presidency Council to adhere to their duties under the LPA noting: “The HoR’s vote of confidence for the Government of the National Accord is no more than a formal procedure because the HoR has got no right to reject the new cabinet formation nor has it the right to amend it. On the contrary, it should consult the yet-to-be-formed Supreme State Council in matters of no-confidence votes as stated in article (01) from paragraph (05) in Skhirat agreement..The HoR got its legitimacy from the political agreement in Skhirat as per article (12), yet it spoke out reservations on article (08) from the appendix provisions, which are part of the agreement and objected to the ministerial cabinet formation given to it.”The Observer claims that those who signed the statement are anti-Haftar signatories of the LPA. Jason Pack of Libya-Analysis warns of the dangers of the developing situation:The implicit endorsement of Haftar by GNA PM Fayez Serraj due to his visit could trigger violence between rival militias in the capital. The hardline faction controlling Tripoli, represented by a majority of the current members comprising the GNC, is still opposing the UN-mediated agreement, despite attempts by members of the GNC in the UN-mediated dialogue committee (Saleh Al-Makhzoum) to bring them on board. His attempts are even less likely to succeed given Serraj’s visit to Haftar.

The situation is becoming even more complicated because the GNC has now expelled eight members for unlawfully taking part in signing the LPA on December 17 in Skhirat. Those expelled include Salah Makhzoum, the second deputy president. He co-signed the LPA. The GNC noted the members expelled were declaring themselves members of the GNA State Council, a mainly advisory body composed of GNC members. The GNC said its claims had no basis since the GNC had not yet approved the GNA. The Libya Herald also reports on the expulsion. Ironically, Makhzoum has just finished announcing the formation of the State Council of the GNA. These will all be members of the GNC. However, the GNC gave no authority to Makhozoum to make the appointments and he himself will no longer be a member of the GNC if and when the HoR votes confidence in the GNA.

Pro-Misrata Municipality brigades pledged their support to the GNA but only on condition that controversial figures be excluded. As the Libya Observer reports:"Misrata's revolutionaries support the consensual political project which will lead us to forming a government of concord on the condition that the controversial figures are excluded, which would guarantee our legal rights," the statement reads, in a clear reference to reneged General Khalifa Haftar.

These conditions are in stark conflict with those of the HoR for approving the GNA. The HoR demands that Haftar keep his position as commander in chief of the LNA.

The Presidency Council of the GNA went to Skhirat today from Tunis to work on a new list of government cabinet ministers. For security reasons, no doubt, the GNA has not yet met in Libya, although it is supposed to set up headquarters in Tripoli.