TRIPOLI, Libya

Libyan Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed al-Manfi called Saturday for the establishment of a unified national budget that is subject to oversight and ensures justice,

"Decentralization and peace have enhanced stability and laid the foundation for development and positive competition," al-Manfi said in a statement published on Facebook. "The continuation of this remarkable transformation requires the existence of a unified budget to ensure sustainability, based on the dual principles of justice and oversight, centered on planning, transparency, disclosure, and accountability."

“We are directed toward close coordination with the United Nations, its institutions, and friendly countries to ensure neutral international auditing and review of all budgetary aspects and institutions without exception,” added al-Manfi.

The UN and local efforts are trying to bring Libya to elections to resolve the crisis between two rival governments -- the Government of National Unity headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh based in Tripoli, which administers the western part of the country and is recognized by the UN, and the appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, headed by Osama Hamad and based in Benghazi, which manages the east and most of the south.

Libyans hope the long-awaited elections will bring an end to political and armed conflicts, and conclude the transitional periods that have followed the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi's regime, which ruled from 1969 - 2011.