Libya: UN Envoy Confident Rival Governments Nearing Consensus

The Head of the UN Special Mission in Libya, Ghassan Salame, told the UN Security Council (SC) Thursday that the country’s two rival administrations have made giant strides towards consensus even though few issues remain unsolved.

Salame in September unveiled a new action plan believed to pave the way to general elections next year and subsequently to establishing a central government.

Libya has been without a central government since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, killed in 2011 in a NATO-backed revolution.

Two governments; the Beida-based administration supported by the country’s internationally recognized parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk, is opposed to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) birthed as a result of a 2015 accord called the Libyan Political Accord (LPA).

The two opposed administrations have fallen apart over the LPA, on a number of issues regarding the control of the army and the faith of Khalifa Hafta, a former Gaddafi close aide who supports the Beida-based administration.

As part of the new action plan, Libya should have a new constitution and the HoR as well as the State Council aligned with the GNA fielded teams to draft the new constitution.

Both organs, according to the UN envoy, have made much progress even though some issues are still unanswered.

“I am quite confident we are close to a consensus,” Salame said.
Salame also told the SC that a national conference to adopt the new constitution will be held next year in February, probably in Tripoli.

The process presented by the Lebanese culture minister will have as climax, the presidential election to elect Libya’s first ever elected leader.