Libyan General National Congress claims it still exists but seems to have no power

The former rival of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR) and the UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA), the General National Congress (GNC), claims it is still alive and functioning.

The statement did not say where the GNC was meeting or who was still involved in the parliament and the associated Salvation government. Last week, a militia loyal to the GNA and its State Council took over the headquarters of the GNC at the RIxos hotel and offices of the GNC across the street. There was no resistance from the guards loyal to the GNC. The statement condemned the takeover of its headquarters by the State Council. The group asked the Supreme Court to intervene and rule on the legality of the State Council and the Political Agreement. Nothing is likely to happen. Without any supporting militia the GNC group lacks any power to enforce any of its demands.

The statement from the GNC ordered the "National Salvation Government" headed by Khalifa Ghwell, who is under EU sanctions, to continue working and insisted it was the only legitimate Libyan legislature. The GNA has been taking over all the former ministries of the GNC apparently without resistance. One of the ministries previously issued a report that the GNC was dissolved. There does not seem to be any Salvation government left to continue work.

A meeting of the GNA State Council some time ago was also described during its first stages as the last meeting of the GNC. As the GNC, the meeting approved the GNA and amended the constitutional declaration of 2011. It then dissolved itself and became the State Council. A rival meeting of the GNC at its headquarters with its president denounced the State Council meeting and declared it illegal.

The whereabouts of the president of the GNC Nuri Abusahmain is not known. He has not been seen nor heard from since the State Council took over his headquarters and offices. He may be trying to return to his home town of Zuwara, near the Tunisian border. One report claims he has been smuggled back into Zuwara.

While the GNA appears to have been successful in wresting power from the GNC, the same is not true of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR). The Libyan National Army (LNA) under General Khalifa Haftar continues to support the HoR, which has so far refused to vote confidence in the GNA or relinquish power. It has even tried to export oil independently from the Tripoli-based National Oil Company. Haftar has received a large shipment of vehicles and ammunition and is now marching towards Sirte, the stronghold of the Islamic State.

It remains to be seen whether along the way he secures the oil ports and ensures they are not used by the GNA. There are reports that Ibrahim Jodhran, who heads the Petroleum Facility Guards has been fired and replaced by a new HoR appointee. The GNC may be faced with a situation where the HoR government takes over more territory and gains control over more resources.

GNA State Council takes over headquarters and offices of rival General National Assembly

Abdulrahman Sewehli, president of the State Council of the UN-brokered Government of National Accord (GNA), has taken over control of the Rixos Hotel complex including the conference hall used by the General National Congress (GNC).

He also took control of buildings across the street that were used as accommodation and offfices by the president of the GNC, Nuri Abusahmain. The takeover shows the power of the GNC and the associated Salvation Government has been reduced to almost nothing. The State Council had met in Tripoli in early April, declaring itself the GNC. After passing a resolution in support of the GNA and amending the constitutional declaration of 2011, it dissolved the GNC supposedly and then met as the State Council. Sewehli was elected president. The president of the GNC was not present. The actual GNC met later at its headquarters and denounced the rival meeting. However, it appears that the GNC might as well have been actually dissolved since it appears to have no power and has now lost its headquarters without any resistance.

There were militia loyal to Abusahmain guarding the buildings. However, they put up no resistance and the road between the two buildings is now open. Abusahmain's whereabouts are not known but he is thought to be still in Tripoli. Abusahmain made a statement condemning the takeover. He said militia loyal to Sewehli arrived at the headquarters early Friday morning. The defenders allowed them to seize the complex because they wanted to avoid bloodshed, according to Abusahmain. The head of security at the Rixos facilities, Omar Al-Ramli gave a similar account of events.

Other events show the continuing decline of the power of the Salvation government and the GNC. Already several ministries have been handed over to the GNA. The Transport Ministry has now been handed over to the PC of the GNA. Labour, Religious Endowments, Education, Housing, Utilities, Youth and Sports, and Social Affairs ministries have all been transferred to the Presidential Council. The Libyan Central Bank is cooperating with the GNA. If the employees at the ministries expect to be paid, they are much better off associating with the GNA. The transfers are taking place in spite of the fact that the GNA has never been given a vote of confidence by the House of Representatives. Under the regulations of the Libyan Political Agreement its term has not yet even begun. However, the GNA has bypassed any vote so far and has regarded a meeting of the Libyan Political Committee and a letter from an alleged majority of the HoR approving the GNA as a green light to start operations and even move to Tripoli. Although foreign affairs and interior ministries have not been turned over officially they are said to be already being run by Mohamed Siala and Arif Khojia respectively, who were appointed to run them.

The Libyan news agency LANA which was formerly loyal to the GNC Salvation government now supports the GNC and the PC. The ministers will be sworn in once all ministries are under GNA control. According to the Libya Herald the State Council considers itself now the country's legislature:Meanwhile, in a move that is likely to be the cause of future conflict, the State Council, likewise yet to be approved by the House of Representatives, has taken over the former General National Congress buildings, presenting itself as the country’s legislature.According to the terms of the LPA the House of Representatives (HoR) is the sole legislative body of the GNA. The State Council is primarily an advisory body. That the State Council should claim legislative powers is in contradiction to the agreement. Members of the HoR will be outraged by this claim if it is true.

Two days of Libyan peace talks take place without one rival government sending representatives

Bernardino Leon, the UN Special Envoy to Libya resumed talks on forming a Government of National Accord in Skhirat Morocco even though one of two rival governments did not show up.

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The talks are set to finalize what is now called the Libyan Political Agreement, that includes agreeing on the structure and main officials in a Government of National Accord. The GNC informed Leon that they would not attend the present round of talks. The GNC claimed that it needed to reconstruct its negotiating team after two of its members resigned. The GNC said that it was still committed to the dialogue process and would participate in the next session. Leon said that the UN Support Mission in Libya would intensify its contacts with stakeholders in the coming days to help create the final push towards peace.

A Reuters report suggests that there could be little prospect of progress without one of the main sides in the conflict present. This may not be true as the Tobruk government could discuss with other its choices for the prime minister and one deputy. The GNC could also submit names for the other deputy to be chosen by it and also its position on other issues in the annex. Leon insists that he thinks that he would be in a position to have a final agreement by Sept. 10. Delegates told the Libya Herald that the job of choosing the leaders of a new government would go on whether the GNC team was present or not. The president of the GNC had sent Leon a letter demanding that amendments suggested by the GNC be included in a final draft. Leon claims the draft cannot be amended since it has been initialed by other participants but that concerns of the GNC can be addressed during discussion of the annexes to the agreement. While the GNC rejected that route in earlier talks with Leon, it seems that it must now be reconsidering that stance as it has said that it will attend later rounds of the dialogue after it restructures it negotiating team.

This final push will no doubt include further threats against any who dare refuse to cooperate in implementing a non-agreement that only one of two rival governments accepted in the first place. There is no mention by Leon of the parallel military dialogue between forces loyal to the GNC Tripoli-based government and those of the Tobruk internationally-recognized government commanded by former CIA-asset Khalifa Haftar. Libya Dawn the main forces associated with the GNC reject the agreement. Even more ominously, Haftar also rejects the agreement even though his government accepts it. You would think this would result in an immediate firing of Hafter but any attempt to do this could result in a military coup. In fact, Haftarwould like Libya to be run by a military council. He rejects any ceasefire or negotiations with the Tripoli whom he regards as terrorists. Leon does not mention details such as this. His job is to push for formation of a unity government whose purpose is to legitimize foreign intervention in Libya.

The resignation of Saleh Makhzoum as head of the GNC delegation is reported by the Libya Herald the result of disagreement with president Nuri Abu Sahmain over the continued participation in the dialogue. The pro-GNC Libya Observer said no reason was given for the resignation although it was accepted by president Sahmain. Last week the First Deputy Speaker Abdul-Sadiq said that the GNC had decided to boycott the talks until Leon had ensured that the GNC proposed amendments would be included in the final draft. Even though the GNC decided it did not have that assurance and boycotted these talks it nevertheless claims that it will attend the next round. While all this goes on the Arab league is extending military aid to the Tobruk government and Khalifa Haftar, a subject of EU sanctions, signs a military aid agreement with Jordan. Without Haftar sidelined no political agreement is feasible but he continues on with help from Egypt, the UAE, and now Jordan.

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UN special envoy discusses peace agreement with representatives of Tripoli government

Special envoy to Libya of the UN, Bernardino Leon, is meeting with representatives of the General National Congress(GNC) parliament. The GNC government is based in Tripoli. The talks are in Algiers, Algeria.

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The GNC parliament is a rival to the House of Representatives(HoR), the internationally-recognized government located in the eastern city of Tobruk. Representatives of the HoR initialled a draft agreement back on July 11 along with some others but the GNC negotiators did not participate and demanded amendments be made. The draft agreement that they had been asked to sign had been altered so as to remove any real power from the GNC, in contrast to the original fourth draft to which they reacted positively. On the other hand, the HoR had demanded amendments to the draft before they would return to the dialogue. Amendments were made without consultation with the GNC or their consent. When the GNC members read the changed documents they walked away from the dialogue. Leon has claimed that since the draft was initialled by the other parties, it must form the basis for the planned Government of National Accord and cannot be amended even though one main party did not agree to it.

The UNSMIL site issued a short press release on the meeting:The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Bernardino Leon, will hold consultations later on Thursday, 30 July 2015 and Friday 31 July 2015 in Algiers with representatives of the General National Congress to discuss ways to reinforce and move forward the dialogue process.The GNC delegation was headed by Nuri Abusahmein and would discuss "the latest developments concerning the political dialogue brokered by the UN." While Leon says that the document cannot be amended, there are many issues that remain to be settled. The prime minister and the two deputies have yet to be named or other members of the Government of National Accord. Leon could offer some incentives by promising them certain positions although it might be difficult for Leon to deliver on any promises.

The issue of the role of General Khalifa Haftar, as head of the Libyan Armed Forces, will be of key importance. Under the agreement the role of commander in chief of the Libyan Armed Forces is reserved for a group of officials from the new government but Haftar insists that his legitimacy comes fromm his appointment by the House of Representatives. While there is a provision in the agreement that previous HoR legislation that conflicts with the new agreement can be ruled invalid, it is unlikely that the HoR would agree to this. Leon no doubt will claim that Haftar will not be the new commander of the Libyan Armed Forces but until that becomes a reality any such promise will be empty.

Even if Leon does offer some carrots for the GNC to sign on to the agreement, it is likely that the GNC will insist on broader changes that restore some power of the GNC to control legislation from the HoR as was present in the unamended fourth draft. Meanwhile Haftar rejects the draft, and dismisses the move of the EU to sanction himself and his air force chief. Leon has said nothing about the parallel military dialogue that he admits is necessary for any political solution. Neither Libya Dawn nor Haftar accept the recent agreement. Haftar says he will not negotiate with nor agree to a ceasefire with Libya Dawn. Given that Haftar has rejected the same agreement that HoR representatives initialed, one would think he and the air force chief would be fired immediately. No sign of that.