Libya: GNA Approved, World Hails the Move
The Presidency Council (PC) based in Tunisia and formed under the Libya Political Agreement announced that the majority of the lawmakers at the Tobruk-based parliament signed a document supporting the Government of National Accord (GNA) giving a “green light to start work.”
The council said in a statement that Libya’s Political Dialogue Team (PDT,) a group of political figures and some members of the two rival parliaments, endorsed the document signed by the HoR but that ten of the PDT members rejected the document stating that the PC “relied on mistaken and confused interpretation.” The dissenting team called for a vote in parliament to adopt the UN backed agreement and to approve the GNA.
Yet, the Presidency Council called on all Libyan institutions, the international community and organizations “to stop dealing with any executive power that does not follow the Government of National Accord.”
In the statement, the PC urged “all Libyan sovereign and public institutions and the heads of financial bodies to start communicating immediately with the Government of National Accord so as to hand over power in a peaceful and orderly manner.”
Western countries showed support to the GNA after the announcement. The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a joint communiqué welcoming the statement of the members of the Libyan Political Dialogue, and expressing full support to the GNA as proposed by the Presidency Council.
They pledged “to work closely with the GNA as the only legitimate government in Libya,” and to continue to provide full support for the efforts of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General.
The communiqué urged the Libyan Presidency Council and the GNA to intensify their efforts “to take up their authorities in full to meet the demands of the Libyan people, who are exhausted because of the crisis.” “The Libyan people deserve peace and stability,” it said, insisting that the Libyan Political Agreement is the only legitimate framework for bringing an end to Libya’s political crisis and military conflict.
The Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative reminded individuals on both sides that “those who undermine the political process, the establishment of the Government of National Accord and the implementation of the Skhirat agreement, may face sanctions” and called on all Libyan parties and the Libyan People “to act responsibly at this decisive time for the future of their country by providing full support to the GNA and its installation in Tripoli.”
Political unity and an inclusive and functioning government is the only way to put an end to the instability that has fueled the development of terrorism in Libya, the joint communiqué said.
