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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

SG/SM/20572

The following statement by UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres was issued today:

Today we have very good news in our search for peace. I welcome the selection by members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum of a unified temporary executive authority.

I call on all members of the dialogue and the Libyan and international stakeholders to respect the results of the vote.

I congratulate the three new members of the Presidential Council and the Prime Minister Designate on their selection, but also, I wish them every success in their mandate to lead the country for the remainder of the Preparatory Phase leading up to national elections on 24 December 2021.

I welcome the pledges made by the new executive authority to form a Government reflecting political pluralism, geographic representation, and its commitment to include no less than 30 per cent of women in executive positions, as well as to ensure the participation of youth.

I also call on the new executive authority and all concerned Libyan stakeholders to uphold the principles and timelines set out in the Tunis Road Map.

I thank the members of the political dialogue for successfully shouldering this historic responsibility.

My appreciation also extends to the Government of Switzerland for hosting the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, to the members of the Berlin Process for their continued support and to my Acting Special Representative, Stephanie Williams, for her leadership, commitment and tireless efforts for facilitating the intra-Libyan dialogue.

The United Nations commitment to support the Libyan people in their efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous country will continue. After the ceasefire that was agreed, the election that now took place shows that Libya is moving in the right direction.

For information media. Not an official record.

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Secretary-General Welcomes Libya Political Dialogue Forum's Selection of Temporary Executive Authority, Calls upon All Parties to Respect Tunis Road...

The Governments of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America welcome the agreement reached by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum on a unified interim Libyan executive authority charged with leading the country to national elections on December 24, 2021.

This critical step towards reaching a negotiated, inclusive political solution is the result of a genuinely Libyan-led and Libyan-owned process, the mediation of the United Nations, and the support of the Libyan people. In this respect, we commend the extraordinary commitment of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and of Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Stephanie Williams. We look forward to fully supporting the work of Special Envoy Jn Kubi.

We call on all current Libyan authorities and actors to ensure a smooth and constructive handover of all competences and duties to the new unified executive authority.

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 unified, interim executive authority.

A long road still lies ahead. The unified executive authority will have to implement the ceasefire agreement, provide essential public services to the Libyan people, initiate a program for meaningful reconciliation, address critical national budget needs, and organize national elections. The new interim government, to be proposed by the designated Prime Minister, should be truly inclusive, allowing all Libyans to be represented, including with regard to gender, ethnicity and regional origin.

We call on the delegates of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum to maintain their important function, guaranteeing the focus of the new unified executive authority on preparing and holding elections as decided by the Forum.

At the Berlin Conference on Libya last year, the international community committed to supporting a resolution to Libyas conflict. In the spirit of that commitment, all participants of the Conference should now support the new executive authority in fulfilling its duties to the Libyan people, fully implement the arms embargo, and support the immediate withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries.

We stand ready to hold to account those who threaten stability or undermine the political process in Libya.

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Libya - Statement by spokespersons of the foreign ministries of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States (05 Feb. 2021) -...

Libya embarked Saturday on a new phase of its post-Moammar Gadhafi transition after an interim executive was selected to lead the country until December elections following a decade of chaos.

In a potential turning point accord cautiously welcomed by key powers, four new leaders from Libya's west, east and south now face the task of unifying a nation torn apart by two rival administrations and countless militias.

Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, a 61-year-old engineer, was selected Friday as interim prime minister by 75 Libyan delegates at U.N.-led talks outside Geneva, the culmination of a dialogue process launched in November.

The new premier on Saturday called for the "reconstruction of the country" and promised to be "ready to listen to and work with all Libyans, whatever their ideology, affiliation or region."

In his first address in the new role, he described the selection process as "democratic and reunifying" after "conflicts and divisions that have affected the Libyan state and its institutions."

"The result ... is a consecration of democracy and unity," he ventured in the televised address as he quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

It marked the start of a new chapter for Libya after the failure of a 2015 U.N.-brokered deal that established a Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez Sarraj.

Libya has been mired in violent turmoil with divisions between the U.N.-recognized legitimate GNA in Tripoli and an illegitimate rival administration backed by putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar in the east.

While Turkey and Qatar have been the main backers of the GNA, Haftar was supported by Egypt, Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Acting U.N. envoy Stephanie Williams, who facilitated the weeklong talks in Switzerland, called it a "historic moment."

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "I do believe it is a breakthrough."

Hailing from the city of Misrata, newly selected premier Dbeibah had led the Libyan Investment and Development Company under longtime dictator Gadhafi, who was toppled and slain in a 2011 revolution.

The wealthy businessperson has 21 days to form a Cabinet then another three weeks to win a vote of confidence in parliament, by March 19 at the latest.

Dbeibah was considered an outsider candidate in large part due to his past close ties to Gadhafi compared with the influential speaker of the eastern-based parliament, Aguila Saleh, and powerful GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha.

A three-member presidency council has also been chosen to head a unity administration and steer the North African state toward the ballot box on Dec. 24.

The vote is part of a complex U.N.-led process aiming to build on a fragile cease-fire in force since October that has cleared the way for a resumption of oil exports on which the country is dependent.

Mohammad Younes Menfi from eastern Libya, a former ambassador expelled by Greece in December 2019 in protest at an agreement between Tripoli and Ankara, is to head the Presidential Council.

Turkey and Libya signed agreements on security and maritime borders in 2019. The maritime deal enabled Turkey to secure its rights in the Mediterranean while preventing any fait accompli by other regional states. However, Greece, one of the main regional actors, did not welcome the deal and regarded it as a violation of its rights, though international law proves otherwise.

Menfi's deputies are Moussa al-Koni, a member of Libya's long-marginalized Touareg minority from the south of the country, and Abdallah Hussein al-Lafi, from the western city of Zuwara.

Turkey's president congratulated the leaders of Libya's interim government in a phone call on Saturday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoan wished success to Menfi and Dbeibah, who have been elected as head of the Presidential Council and prime minister, respectively, according to a statement by the Turkish Presidency.

"Turkey will 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," Erdoan said.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the U.S. welcomed the interim government but cautioned of a "long road ahead" and said it would have to offer Libyans essential public services.

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, one of the main backers of Haftar, has also given his support to the transitional government that would lead neighboring Libya through elections late this year.

Haftar's spokesperson on Saturday congratulated Dbeibah and Menfi as well as "the Libyan people" on the outcome of the selection process, a day after outgoing premier Sarraj wished the new executive "success in their mission."

The Libyan people hope that it will work tirelessly to provide services and prepare the country for general elections on Dec. 24, 2021, the statement said, referring to the interim government.

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New interim government to lead Libya during transition phase | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah