Libya: Peace efforts will not be hijacked by a minority, Leon

U.N Special Representative for Libya Bernardino Leon stressed that the peace efforts to end the war in the country will continue and that “there is no chance for small groups or personalities to hijack this process.”

Leon was speaking at a press conference in Tunis after the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR) rejected, without voting, the proposed political agreement for a transitional unity government. He said that this rejection was followed by “a statement signed by what seems to be a majority of the members of the HoR insisting that there was no proper vote and that no proper decision was taken.”

Leon criticized all the groups or personalities that are opposing the political solution for not having been able to put on the table any alternative, insisting that “the political solution is the only real alternative” and that it strongly enjoys the support of the international community.

He said the peace process is owned only by Libyans regardless of their political and geographic backgrounds and this is “the most important asset” of the dialogue, he was quoted as saying in a UN press release.

The dialogue will continue and meetings are expected to be held by next week.

Some critics of the dialogue said Benghazi is not involved accordingly but Leon argued that the answer should be left to the Libyans because the “basis of our dialogue has been consensus and it will continue to be consensus.” He said he expressed his “awareness and solidarity” with Benghazi in his latest U.N Security Council report as fighting continues to ravage the city.

He insisted that a strong majority of the Libyans support the process and that the process is going on. “We will convene new meetings in the coming days to listen to proposals and ideas from the Libyans involved in the process and those outside the process to go on.” “It is important that the Libyans see that we go on and that the proposals from this dialogue will prevail.”