Libya lawmakers hold consultative session in Morocco

TRIPOLI/RABAT

A consultative meeting of Libyan lawmakers aimed at unifying the divided Libyan parliament, and resolving the political crises started in Tangiers, Morocco on Tuesday.

The House of Representatives, which consists of two parts in Tripoli and Tobruk, are holding the joint session with the support of Morocco to address differences.

While deputies in the eastern city support Haftar, parliamentarians in Tripoli back the internationally-recognized government of Fayez al-Sarraj.

Abdel-Wahab Zouleh, a member of Tripoli’s parliament, told Anadolu Agency that "the session began with the attendance of 111 MPs, including more than 35 Libyan lawmakers representing the Tobruk-based parliament.”

Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The Government of National Accord was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to a military offensive by forces loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar.

The renegade general launched an offensive on the capital in April 2019, but was pushed back in June by the GNA.

Late last month the warring sides signed an agreement for a permanent cease-fire to resolve the conflict.

The meeting will also deliberate on the powers of the Presidential Council, and the transitional government that would lead the conflict-stricken country to polls next year.

The 75-member Libyan Political Dialogue Forum is holding separate talks on the future roadmap of the country's executive and state institutions. The forum has set Dec. 24, 2021 as the date for parliamentary and presidential elections.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara