Libyan rivals meet in Morocco to settle electoral disputes

RABAT, Morocco

Morocco hosted a consultative meeting on Wednesday between representatives of the Libyan Parliament and the Tripoli-based High Council of State, which acts as a senate.

"The meeting (in the northern city of Bouznika) aims to reach elections to end the duality of Libyan institutions," Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said.

He called for international support for Libya to help form a national unity government and end division.

"The solution must be from inside Libya as there is no outsider solution for the country,” the top diplomat stressed.

Morocco has hosted six rounds of talks between the Libyan rivals, including a meeting in January 2021 that set most of the criteria for selecting heads of sovereign positions in Libya.

On Sunday, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) announced the formation of a technical committee comprising Libyan experts who will identify key milestones and priorities for a consensus-based government to resolve the country’s ongoing political crisis.

These endeavors are part of broader efforts to pave the way for elections that could end Libya’s power struggle.

The oil-rich country has remained in turmoil since 2011, when longtime ruler Gaddafi was ousted after four decades in power.

The country has since been divided into two parts. One is governed by the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord which enjoys international recognition, and the other by Benghazi-based military commander Khalifa Haftar.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar