The session was postponed after the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Martin Kobler, flew into Tobruk in an attempt to persuade the HoR to approve the new lineup for the GNA. Yesterday, a session was suspended after heated arguments and statements by some members of the GNA Presidency Council that could create further divisions within the GNA.
During the day, Kobler met with Ageela Salah, president of the HoR and also Faiez Serraj the Prime Minister-designate of the GNA and head of the Presidency Council. Kobler also spoke with a number of HoR members. Kobler said in a tweet: “The eyes of the people of Libya are on Tobruk. They expect a GNA. I am here in Tobruk today to help, not to interfere.” He is there to use all the power he can muster to force the HoR to vote approval of the GNA. Of course, for the UN this is helping not interfering.
It is not clear that the HoR will approve the GNA. The fact that Kobler flew into Tobruk shows things are not going as he wants. If he was sure the HoR would approve the GNA he would stay away so he could claim that the UN was not interfering in the process. Some in the rival General National Congress (GNC) based in Tripoli speak of the GNA as a UN-imposed government or as a UN trusteeship government. Suddenly flying in to Tobruk at the last minute is a sign that things are not progressing in the way that the UN hoped.
Some in the HoR reject the GNA as it is. Ali Qatrani who suspended his member in the GNA is one of the leaders of the opposition. Most in opposition to the GNA are strong supporters of Khalifa Haftar. This group takes the view that the GNA Presidency Council is controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood. If it is, they are completely blind to the fact that, according to the terms of the Libya Political Agreement, Khalifa Haftar,is supposed to have lost his job to the Presidency Council back on December 17, when the LPA was signed in Skhiirat. Instead supporters of the Brotherhood in the GNA have ignored this fact along with most everyone else. The Brotherhood members also accepted as a minister of Defense someone who is a leader of Operation Dignity, a military operation led by Haftar since May 2014. It is designed to rid Libya of Islamists, including them. If Muslim Brotherhood members in the GNA had control, Haftar would have been long gone. The opposition group also now takes the view that the Presidency Council is too large and should be reduced back to the original prime minister and two deputy ministers. It now stands at nine. Reduction back to the original would alienate a number of groups from the GNA. In rejecting the original cabinet of 32, the HoR also demanded the LPA, which has a part of article 8 in the main text (p.8) that gives the function of commander in chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA) to the presidency, council immediately upon the GNA receiving a vote of confidence, be deleted. This issue appears to have disappeared. No one even mentions it. It cannot be deleted until the HoR has actually passed the GNA with the section present.
The HoR also has to amend the Constitutional Declaration to make the GNA legal but this requires a two-thirds majority in the HoR. TV footage of earlier meetings shows that there were not enough members present to meet the requirement. My understanding is that the recent meetings of the HoR are just to discuss the new GNA. The actual vote was scheduled for Tuesday. However, it may be that the GNA will be voted upon tomorrow.
The UN and many foreign nations are anxious for the GNA to be up and running so that it can request and legitimize foreign intervention against the Islamic State. Just recently, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UAE, the UK and the U.S. issued a joint statement welcoming the Presidential Council of the GNA’s announcement of the Government of National Accord (GNA) cabinet on February 14. The statement said: We take note of the spirit of openness and reconciliation embodied in this Cabinet. It is not easy to choose the path of reconciliation, but addressing Libya’s humanitarian, economic, and security crises requires great courage.
The group said it is ready to stand by the GNA to provide support and counter the threat posed by Daesh or the Islamic State. As with the UN, the group urged the HoR to give a vote of confidence in the list. They warned that continued division could benefit only Daesh and other extremist groups.
