After four years of political and security crises in Libya, the first stage of a UN-sponsored peace plan has been launched amid optimism by warring parties.
The first UN-sponsored dialogue was held in Tunisia on Tuesday, which aims to introduce amendments to the current political agreement.
The meeting is the first step of an action plan proposed by Ghassan Salame, the UN envoy to Libya, which includes amending the original peace agreement, holding a UN-sponsored national conference among all Libyan political factions, adopting a constitution, and finally electing a president and a parliament.
Libyan observers believe the first dialogue is the most important step, as the political agreement constitutes the basis for finding a solution to the country’s problems.
Tarek Saqr al-Jarushi, a member of the House of Representatives, told Xinhua that lawmakers are committed to amending the points of dispute previously announced by the parliament, “as a condition for the return to dialogue and negotiation.”
The amendments should follow the principle that the presidential council of the government of national accord must consist of a president and two deputies as stipulated in the draft agreement, not nine deputies as it is now, said Al-Jarushi.
“The government of national accord should be separated from the presidential council. The controversial Article VIII, which has deprived the parliament most of its powers in favor of the presidential council, mainly the post of the supreme commander of the army, must be abolished,” he noted.
The government of national accord and the higher council of state were appointed based on the UN-sponsored peace agreement. However, the country remains politically divided.
Al-Jarushi expected the first stage of the UN plan to be completed within three weeks.
“The dialogue committee of the parliament will return after the completion of this stage to present the outcomes of the meeting to the parliament for voting in a formal session,” he explained.
The lawmaker also said the stage following the amendments will be a difficult one, as leaders of executive bodies, such as the prime minister and head of the presidential council, will be elected at this stage.
But Saleh Galma, also a member of the House of Representatives, said the amendments to the agreement “are not as easy and fast as some would have expected.”
“There are maneuvering and confusion during this stage, and also there is no consideration of the factor of time,” Galma told Xinhua.
Following the uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and political division despite the signing of a UN-sponsored peace agreement and appointment of a unity government.
Xinhuanet
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