The events of yesterday are discussed at the Libya Herald and also the Digital Journal. So far, the Libya Herald has not commented on events today but the Libya Observer has.
Abu Baira, a member of the HoR, said there will be no meeting of the HoR until next Monday. He pointed out that disagreements among the MP’s about the Skirat agreement, or Libya Political Agreement (LPA) have still not been settled. After the failed meeting yesterday, there was a committee of 12 set up with six pro-GNA members and six opposed. However, the committee has not yet reached an agreement. There is still the possibility of a meeting later in the week. A couple of tweets have suggested Thursday as a possibility.
Mustafa Abushagur, also a member of the HoR, said that the anti-GNA group have outlined five pre-conditions that must be met including amendments to the LPA signed in Skhirat. These would include removal of article 8. Abushagur said that all the conditions could be met except for the amendments to the LPA. Even Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) has consistently maintained that there can be no amendments to the LPA. Section 8 can be removed only after the GNA has been approved. As Abushagur noted, for Section 8 to be removed the agreement would have to be reopened. Others might want changes as well.
The GNA and the UN have actually ignored the fact that there are two sections 8, one in the main text and the other in the additional provisions. The latter actually required the Presidential Council to take on the function of commander in chief on December 17. Some opponents of the GNA say that it is dominated by Islamists, particularly members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Either they must be asleep at the switch or someone has promised them that Haftar will not be head of the Libyan National Army under the GNA even though the Presidential Council has never paid any attention to section 8 of the additional provisions. Abushagur said:“Another round of negotiations is going to be held tonight by the 12-member committee to provide responses to the preconditions, if they agreed; an HoR meeting could take place Wednesday. If not, the HoR will do its best to hold a meeting on Thursday as the last attempt.”
The extended term of the HoR runs out on April 20, tomorrow. The HoR extended its own term last October when it ran out. Although this was not legal no one paid any attention. It is unlikely that the powers that count will pay any attention to the fact that the HoR may be voting on the GNA when it has no legal legitimacy. No one mentions that the HoR election was declared unconstitutional by the Libyan Supreme Constitutional Court back in November of 2014. The GNC or Salvation Government in Tripoli always used to refer to it as the dissolved parliament.
