Libya dialogue forum approves mechanism to select gov't

TRIPOLI, Libya

The warring sides in Libya on Tuesday agreed on a mechanism to appoint a temporary executive authority in the country.

On the second day of voting in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), 51 members of the body, or 73%, voted in favor of the mechanism which was opposed by 19 others, LPDF member Abdul Qadir Hawili told Anadolu Agency.

Two members abstained in the dialogue, which contains representatives of the internationally-recognized Libyan government and warlord Khalifa Haftar, while two others did not participate in the voting process, Hawili added.

Another member, Muhammad al-Ra'idah, told Anadolu Agency that the new mechanism stipulates that each of the three regions in the North African nation must nominate one member for the executive authority with the approval of least 70% of representatives from each region in the political dialogue forum.

"In the event that each region fails to nominate a figure for the required percentage," al-Ra’idah added, "the system of lists will be used."

The three regions, Tripoli, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan have 37, 24, and 14 members in the LPDF, respectively.

On Jan. 3, the UN interim envoy to Libya, Stephanie Williams, announced the formation of an 18-member Consultative Council of the Libyan Dialogue Forum to draft a formal mechanism to select Libya's temporary executive.

The UN recognizes the government headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, also supported by Turkey, as the country's legitimate authority as Tripoli has battled Haftar's militias since April 2019 in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.

Diplomatic efforts have been underway in recent months to reach a solution to the Libyan conflict following victories made by the Libyan Army against Haftar's militias.

Despite the progress on the political and military levels between the rival Libyan parties, the government documented several violations by Haftar's militias to a cease-fire reached on Oct. 23 under UN mediation.

*Ibrahim Mukhtar contributed to this report from Ankara