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Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, I am pleased to announce the results of the vote of the second round for the selection of the new executive authority. 73 ballots were cast; there was one abstention; and zero invalid ballot. The winning ticket received 39 votes and composed of Mr. Mohammad Younes Menfi, President of the Presidency of the Presidency Council; Mr. Mossa Al-Koni, and Mr. Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi, members of the Presidency Council; and Mr. Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, Prime Minister ddesignate. The runner-up list received 34 votes and the candidate for the President of the Presidency Council was Mr. Aqila Saleh Qwaider; Mr. Osama Abdul Salam Juwaili andAbdul Majeed Ghaith Seif Al-Nasr, members of the Presidency Council; and Mr. Fathi Ali Abdul Salam Bashagha was the candidate for the Prime Minister.On behalf of the United Nations, I am pleased to witness this historic moment.The importance of the decision that you have taken here today will grow with the passage of time in the collective memory of the Libyan people.

This process, your process, has come a long way from when we first convened you virtually in October of last year.

You overcame your differences, divisions and the many challenges you have faced during this difficult, but fruitful journey, in the interests of your country and of the Libyan people.You understood the burden of your responsibility and the immense value of your contributions. You fulfilled your commitments before your constituencies.

Your compatriots will remember for many years to come this national conscientiousness you have so ably demonstrated.

Our bet was that you would be able to build a truly Libyan-owned solution. And that is what you have done.

The international community can only validate and reinforce your decisions and will be watching those you have selected to make sure they truly go back to the Libyan people on December 24 to democratically elect Libyas representatives and political leadership. As they have pledged to do so before you, in word and in writing. This is a solemn obligation and one the new executive must fulfill.

The challenges are not behind you.

The Prime Minister-designate must within a period not to exceed twenty-one days, form his cabinet and present its work program along with all the outcomes of the LPDF to the House of Representatives for full endorsement and to grant confidence within a period also not exceed twenty-one days from the date of submission to the HoR. If confidence is not granted, the matter shall be decided by the LPDF.

The new unified executive authority should commit to translating the spirit and principles of the roadmap with actions and deeds.

First, I call on them to respect and translate the unity and inclusivity which you have built in this forum in the formation of a government that is based on merit, competence and which is representative of all Libyans, including youth, cultural components and women.

They have already committed to ensuring that women will hold at least 30% of the senior executive positions.

Second, urgent action is needed to uphold the election date on 24 December, which will require that new government to extend its full support to HNEC and to the concerned institutions to finalize the necessary constitutional arrangements for the holding of the elections in line with their responsibilities and timeline set out in the Tunis roadmap.

Third, the new unified executive must, as stipulated in the Roadmap, launch a comprehensive national reconciliation process based on the principles of transitional justice and promoting the culture of amnesty and tolerance in parallel with truth-seeking and reparation.

Fourth, the new unified executive must fully support and implement the ceasefire agreement. This will require bold and determined action on the part of the new Government in support of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission, in particular for the reopening of the coastal road and the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries.

The reopening of the coastal road will also be critical for the delivery of basic services and to ensure free movement of goods and people, which is essential to restore the prosperity of a united Libya.

Fifth, the new executive must tackle Libyas economic crisis and the dire living conditions faced by Libyan citizens.

Since the oil blockade was lifted in September 2020, important progress has been achieved to enact the economic reforms needed to create a more equitable and durable economic arrangement of Libyas oil revenues.

The re-activation of the CBL Board of Governors, the unification of the exchange rate, the progress in the financial review of both branches of the CBL and the launch of the comprehensive audit of LIA on 11 January, have been setting the stage for the reunification of Libyas economic and financial institutions and policies, and increasing the integrity and performance of Libyas sovereign wealth.

As we were gathering in Switzerland, Libyas first unified national budget since 2014 was agreed and is awaiting promulgation by the current Presidency Council.As stipulated in the Roadmap, the current Presidency Council and government should continue to work in a caretaker capacity until the endorsement by the House of Representatives of the new temporary unified executive, and should ensure that a peaceful transition and a constructive handover take place without delay and in the interests of the country. All parallel authorities shall be considered null and void.

The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum has not completed its tasks. You have a critical role to play in the months ahead as the custodians and monitors of the Roadmap which you adopted in Tunis. You have demonstrated your political strength throughout this process, and you must continue to work in the same spirit to ensure that the aspirations and clear demands of the Libyan people do not remain unfulfilled and unanswered. You must hold the new executive to account and demand that the institutions fulfill their responsibilities with regard to the constitutional process and the sovereign positions, while respecting the independence of the judicial authority.

The United Nations will continue to accompany you on this journey. It has been my pleasure to join you and I wish you and your beloved country all the very best as you continue to come together Min Ajl Libya.

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Note to Correspondents: Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya Stephanie Williams remarks following the closing of the vote...

The European Union and its Member States welcome the agreement by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) on a transitional unified executive authority for Libya. This is an important milestone in the Berlin Process and on the way to lead the country towards national elections to be held on 24 December 2021.

We are ready to work with the new President of the Presidency Council, Mohammad Younes Menfi, and the new Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, and stress the need for the swift formation of a new, inclusive government that will work for national reconciliation and unification of the country. We encourage the House of Representatives to vote on the LPDF outcomes according to the timeline agreed in the Road Map adopted by the LPDF in Tunis in November 2020.

Since the Berlin Conference, Libya has made significant progress toward securing lasting peace and stability, including through the reopening of the energy sector, the nationwide ceasefire agreement of 23 October 2020, the roadmap for holding national elections in December 2021, and now the selection of a transitional unified executive authority.

We commend the efforts and determination showed by the LPDF members and UNSMILs team to reach a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned negotiated, inclusive political solution and create conditions for national unity, transitional justice, and reconciliation in Libya. We recognize the will expressed by the LPDF to remain engaged in supporting the timely implementation of the decisions achieved in Geneva. We also welcome the determination to ensure a meaningful inclusion of women in the new government and we encourage their equal participation in the peace process.

We urge all relevant Libyan stakeholders across the country, and all members of the International Community to show strong resolve in supporting the transitional unified executive authority in the interest of the stabilisation of the country and national reconciliation. In this regard, the EU recalls its instrument of sanctions against possible spoilers.

Ensuring timely preparation for the national elections should now be the main priority, including the adoption of necessary electoral laws and its constitutional basis, the concrete implementation of all provisions of the October 23 cease-fire agreement and the necessary economic reforms, starting with the unification of all financial institutions. The EU will be ready to support this process and urges all Libyan and international actors to do so in respect of Libyas territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

Furthermore, the EU underlines the importance of effective implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, respect for the UN arms embargo, and withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries in accordance with the UNSC Resolutions. All foreign military intervention is unacceptable.

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Libya: Declaration by the High Representative Josep Borrell on behalf of the EU on the formation of the transitional unified executive authority - EU...

Libyas two main warring factions elected a new transitional government at a United Nations-organized summit, taking a tentative step toward political unity after years of conflict that have devastated the North African country.

Delegates at the summit in Geneva on Friday elected a businessman, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, as Libyas prime minister, the U.N.s acting special envoy for Libya said. He will serve alongside Mohammad Younes Menfi, a former ambassador to Greece, who was elected head of Libyas presidency council.

The country has been split between several governments and multiple militias since 2014, when a transition to democracy that began after the ouster of dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 unraveled.

The formation of the new government comes months after the end of a 14-month war between the rival factions, which are backed by foreign powers with competing interests that brought them to the brink of direct conflict last year.

Mr. Dbeibahs election came as a surprise, as he beat a rival list of political heavyweights, including the current interior minister in the internationally recognized government who had hoped to become prime minister.

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Libya Forms Transitional Unity Government After Years Of Conflict - The Wall Street Journal

Libyans hope a new political transitional can unite the country and bring about a reconciliation process but many hurdles remain.

Recently, delegates from opposite sides at a UN-sponsored forum voted for Libyas interim prime minister and a three-member presidential council with the aim of holding national elections in December 2021.

Libyan delegates in Geneva elected Abdul Hamid Dbeibah from the western city of Misrata, as prime minister, and Mohamed al Manfi from the east as the head of the presidency council.

Choosing a new interim government seems to be a significant move towards unifying the oil rich country, which has been divided since 2014 between two parallel institutions, one in the east backed by Khalifa Haftar and the other in the west, the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al Sarraj and established through the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA).

The election is part of a UN-backed settlement process and follows a ceasefire deal on 23 October 2020, after the collapse of a fourteen-month assault led by the warlord Haftar who controls much of the east, aimed at taking over the capital, Tripoli, from the UN- backed GNA.

With Turkish support, the internationally recognised government in Tripoli has managed to fend off and claw back territory from Haftar, who is backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, France and Russia.

On Saturday, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Dbeibah and Manfi to congratulate them and stated that Turkey would continue its efforts for political unity, territorial integrity, stability, peace, security and prosperity in Libya, and further enhance its cooperation with Libya in the new period.

Dbeibah recently said that Turkey is an ally, friend, and a brotherly state, and it has huge capabilities to help the Libyans achieve their real goals. Turkey is considered a real partner to Libya.

The long road ahead

Heading towards the December election would be an important step forward if it takes place. However the situation remains fragile, as many factors and dynamics surrounding the political settlement could still derail the process.

First, the House of Representatives (HoR) must approve the newly selected executive authority in three weeks, and if the HoR fails to do so, the decision would go to members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).

Given that the Libyan parliament has been divided since 2015 and hasnt held an official session for years, it seems likely the decision would go to the LPDF, which doesnt bode well for a smooth transition.

That various armed groups, both in western and eastern Libya, will actually respect the results also remains to be seen. As part of last Octobers ceasefire agreement, foreign fighters and mercenaries were supposed to leave the country in three months. That deadline passed, but reportedly they are still on the ground.

A by-product of the civil war, the increasing involvement of foreign powers and the continuing insecurity and presence of mercenaries are detrimental to Libyas oil industry. Providing significant support for a new interim government from the UN Security Council and NATO could lead to the removal of mercenaries from the country.

Despite being out of the political scene, Haftar is hoping to remain a player in a military capacity. While comparatively weaker since April 2019, he still has enough power to disrupt ongoing peace negotiations on account of the UAEs vital support.

Reportedly, foreign capitals had selected their preferred lists to jockey for advantage. In this regard, Cairo, Paris and Moscow invested in local allies such as Aguila Saleh, who ended up losing. At this point, its not clear whether they will genuinely accept the outcome.

This new unity government could provide a fresh hope to pave the way for a more democratic and peaceful transition of power in the near future. However, there is a long way to go before the slated December election.

It is crucial to see how militia groups on the ground and their external backers play their hands. Going forward, foreign actors including the new US administration should coordinate their approach to support UN efforts, providing a safe environment in a way that would encourage Libyans to take part in the process of reconciliation and to support paths of reconstruction and development.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of TRT World.

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Libyas new unity government is a start. But a long road lies ahead. - TRT World

A general view of the talks between the rival factions in the Libya conflict at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland October 20, 2020 . Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via REUTERS

CAIRO - 9 February 2020: The head of the Egyptian National Committee for Libyan Affairs delivered a speech, Tuesday, during the third meetings of the Libyan Constitutional Track, in which he stressed the importance of exploiting the positive atmosphere that the Libyan crisis is currently experiencing to choose a new executive body and a Council of Ministers, and implement the outputs of the Military Committee 5 + 5.

The third meetings of the Libyan Constitutional Track began runs from February 9-11 in Hurghada, in the presence of delegations of the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of State under the auspices of the United Nations. The meetings are chaired by Emad al-Sayeh, chairman of Libya's High National Election Commission, and aims to discuss ways to conduct the referendum on the Libyan constitution.

It is worth mentioning that the recently-appointed UN Special Envoy to Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Jan Kubis, delivered a speech in his first official appearance after assuming the position, succeeding Stephanie Williams, in which he thanked the Egyptian government for its support for political solutions and for hosting the constitutional process.

Kubis pointed out the importance of this meeting as it directly affects the citizen through the Libyans' agreement on the form of the referendum they want.

Egypt is adopting a strategy of opening up to all Libyan parties supporting a political solution, as part of its support for efforts to defuse the crisis in the country.

Egypt earlier announced an initiative, dubbed the Cairo Declaration, which posits a Libyan-Libyan resolution as a basis for resolving the countrys conflict, drawing on earlier international efforts, including the Berlin conference.

On September 22, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi addressed several ongoing topics in the speech he gave at the United Nations 75th General Assembly, which was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

President Sisi said that his country is committed to a political solution for the current crisis in Libya based on the Skhirat agreement, the Berlin conference, and the Cairo Declaration, which set a schedule for establishing a consensual government.

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Chairman of the Egyptian National Committee of Libyan Affairs calls to exploit current positive atmosphere to solve Libyan crisis - Egypttoday