Arab League expresses understanding for Libyan demonstrations, calls for elections
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, affirmed Monday that elections are the only way to renew the legitimacy of all Libyan institutions.
He expressed his understanding for the reasons Libyans have been demonstrating in different cities to protest against the general situation in the country, "especially in light of the exacerbation of the political crisis, the lack of basic services and the return of signs of division in Libya's economic institutions".
A movement of popular demonstrations has been underway in Libya since Friday, following the impasse in the political process, affecting several cities including the capital, Tripoli.
This culminated in the burning of the parliament headquarters in Tobruk (East) and the financial services buildings in Sebha (South) by protesters demanding the dissolution of the current political bodies and the organization of general elections, as well as providing services such as electricity and cash in banks.
The official spokesperson of the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Jamal Ruchdi, said that the Secretary General expressed his concern over the developments in Libya, after the failure to reach a consensus on some outstanding issues in the draft constitution.
The House of Representatives and the Supreme State Council had previously reached agreement on these issues at the Cairo and Geneva meetings.
He said the political deadlock "could have disastrous consequences for Libya's stability", according to a statement by Ruchdi published on the Arab League website on Monday.
Meetings held on 28-29 June in Geneva between the Speaker of the parliament, Aguila Saleh, and the chairman of the High State Council, Khaled Al-Mechri, under the auspices of the United Nations to finalize a constitutional document to serve as a legal framework for the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections, failed to reach an agreement, particularly on the eligibility of binationals and the military.
The Arab League spokesperson expressed Gheit's "total rejection of militia actions or the sabotage and destruction of public facilities of the Libyan state, as a supposed means by some to express protests".
He also called on all Libyan political actors to assume their responsibilities and engage in intensified contacts with each other to break the political deadlock.
The head of the Arab League reiterated his support for any effort in this direction, and to put an end to the state of frustration experienced by the Libyan citizen as a result of the failure of the concerned institutions to complete the preparation of the necessary constitutional basis for the holding of national elections.
-0- PANA BY/IS/BBA/RA 4July2022
