US Special Envoy for Libya, Richard Norland, has called on Libya’s rivals to respond to an initiative floated by UN envoy Abdoulaye Bathily to break political stalemate in the country. ‘I encourage Libyan political actors to listen to Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Abdoulaye Bathily’s remarks and consider how they can be a part of the solution that breaks the political impasse,’ Norland said in a statement. On Saturday, Bathily unveiled details of his initiative for holding Libya’s stalled elections this year. Addressing a press conference in the capital Tripoli, Bathily said the initiative aims to expand dialogue between Libyan parties to break the current stalemate. The UN initiative won support from the head of the Tripoli-based unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, and chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed Menfi. Khalid al-Mishri, the head of the Tripoli-based High Council of State, also said his assembly has a strong political will to hold the elections. There was no comment yet from East Libya-based parliament on the initiative. Oil-rich Libya has remained in turmoil since 2011, when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted after four decades in power. The situation has worsened since last year when the Libyan parliament appointed a new government led by former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, but Dbeibeh said he will cede authority only to a government that comes through an “elected parliament,” raising fears that Libya could slip back into a civil war.
Source: Anadolu Agency