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The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom:

Begin Text:

France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America welcome the progress made in the talks between the Joint Committee of the House of Representatives and High State Council in Cairo facilitated by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). We welcome the degree of consensus reached so far towards agreement and appreciate the work of Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General Stephanie Williams and UNSMIL.

We call on the House of Representatives, the High State Council, and their leaders to urgently finalize the legal basis so that credible, transparent, and inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections can be held as soon as possible, as set out in UNSCR 2570 (2021), the LPDF Roadmap, the Libya Stabilization Conference, the Berlin II conference conclusions, and the declaration of the Paris Conference on Libya.

The LPDF roadmap set the expiration of the transitional phase on 22 June, provided that Presidential and Parliamentary elections are held on 24 December 2021, which has not been the case. We stress the need for a unified Libyan government able to govern and deliver these elections across the country, achieved through dialogue and compromise as soon as possible. We firmly reject actions that could lead to violence or to greater divisions in Libya, such as the creation of parallel institutions, any attempt to seize power through force, or refusal of peaceful transition of power to a new executive formed through a legitimate and transparent process. We urge Libyan political leaders to engage constructively in negotiations, including through the good offices of UNSMIL, to unlock the executive impasse and agree on a pathway to elections. We continue to expect the full implementation of the 23 October 2020 ceasefire agreement. Violence, incitement to violence, and hate speech are inexcusable and unacceptable.

We underline that Libyas resources must be managed in a transparent, responsible, and accountable manner throughout the country, and for the benefit of the Libyan people. We urge Libyas leaders to agree on the countrys public spending priorities and establish a joint revenue management and oversight structure through continuing engagement with the Berlin Process Economic Working Group.

End Text

See more here:
Joint Statement on the Situation in Libya - United States Department of State - Department of State

The member of the Presidential Council (PC), Abdullah Al-Lafi, has stressed that holding the presidential and parliamentary elections according to an agreed constitutional basis is the only solution to the political crisis in Libya.

This came during his meeting with the Turkish Ambassador to Libya, Kenan Yilmaz, during which he praised Ankara's role in supporting a peaceful solution to the Libyan crisis, and supporting dialogue between all parties involved in the political process, through its various tracks.

He also pointed out to the strategic vision for the national reconciliation project launched by the PC to end the transitional stages, reach stability and achieve peace in the country, according to the PC media office.

For his part, the Turkish ambassador affirmed his country's support for the political track, in order to reach the presidential and parliamentary elections, according to a constitutional framework agreed upon by all.

Read the original:
Holding elections according to a constitutional basis is the only solution to the Libyan crisis, Al-Lafi says - The Libya Observer

Heavy clashes erupted late on Wednesday in Zawiyet Al-Dahmani neighborhood in Tripoli between Stability Support Apparatus and Deterrence Apparatus for Fighting Terrorism and Organized Crime, leading to the killing of three of the fighting men and one civilian, who was run over by a police car fleeing the clashes, a medical source said, adding that others had been injured as well.

Eyewitnesses said the clashes were started by a brawl between the two sides fighters and lasted for hours without any intervention from security or military units in the capital.

Libyas Interior Ministry condemned the tragic incident in Al-Dahmani and said the two apparatuses are not affiliated with it, denouncing such clashes that every now and then terrify people and undermine the Ministrys policies that aim to prevail security and protect people and public properties.

Military reinforcements and tensions are still present in Tripolis center as other armed factions have closed several main roads in east and west Tripoli for different reasons.

Originally posted here:
Four killed in clashes in Libya's Tripoli - The Libya Observer

High summer temperatures and widespread power cuts varying from 10 to 16 hours over the last week have led to calls for non-aligned public demonstrations next Friday 1 July. Activists have asked the public to cease being apathetic and call for their rights. They said they plan demonstrations calling for:

1) The speeding up of presidential and parliamentary elections

2) Authorizing the Presidential Council to dissolve all current political bodies and declare a state of emergency

3) Solving the electricity crisis, and clarifying the facts behind it for the public

4) Cancellation of the decision to withdraw fuel subsidies, and to amend the size and price of a loaf of bread.

A general groundswell of discontentThe summer heat leading to increased power cuts, the (post Ukraine war) general increase of cost of living, including bread prices and the threat of the withdrawal of fuel subsidies, and the failure of Libyas political progress or elections to be held has led to a general groundswell of discontent.

A call for the dissolution of all current political entitiesA group of wise men, elderly and dignitaries has called upon the Presidency Council, for example, to dissolve all current political entities if the House of Representatives (HoR) and High State Council (HSC) fail to agree upon the constitution and elections in their UN-brokered Geneva meeting on 28-29 June.

The man operating his childs breathing machine via a generator on the streetThe general discontent was also galvanised by the social media post of a Benghazi man holding his child in his arms on the pavement while plugging his childs breathing machine into the neighbours generator.

The post has gone viral in Libya and has touched a nerve. Gajoums cartoon goes further just to emphasise the unsaid point. It has the father sitting on a barrel of oil and not on the pavement. Libya, after all, is supposed to be an oil-rich state. Yet it cannot provide the most basics of a modern society. This, while for the last 11 years its political elite have conspired to prevent it from progressing for their narrow self interests.

It has led to calls for change and renewed attacks on the countrys corrupt political elite.

HoR Speaker Saleh and HSC head Mishri to officially meet at last: UNs Stephanie Williams (libyaherald.com)

UN urges refrain from using LPDFs 22 June expiration date as tool for manipulation (libyaherald.com)

HoR-HSC Joint Committee Cairo talks end with no agreement on transition or elections (libyaherald.com)

Lengthy power cuts lead to GECOL head Abdali being suspended (libyaherald.com)

Damage from Janzour militia clashes will result in power cuts and delay in Tripoli West power station coming online this summer: GECOL (libyaherald.com)

View post:
Power cuts touch a nerve and lead to call for politically neutral public demonstrations - Libya Herald

The leaders of Libya's two legislative chambers will meet in Geneva next week for last-ditch talks on a constitutional basis for elections, the United Nations said on Thursday, as tensions in the war-torn country are again on the rise.

Two security forces clashed in Tripoli late Wednesday, killing one fighter and damaging property nearby, the Interior Ministry said Thursday, further demonstrating the tense ties between powerful factions in the Libyan capital.

A young man was also killed in a traffic collision as he fled the area along with other civilians, his friends told Reuters.

Two forces associated with the Presidential Council exchanged gunfire in a central part of Tripoli, ministry spokesperson Abdel Monaem al-Arabi said, adding that an investigation into the cause of the incident had begun.

"I saw people running and cars rushing onto the opposite side of the road from fear," passerby Ali Errhoma, 31, told Reuters.

Much of Libya has for years been dominated by rival armed forces that control territory and vie for position while formally acting as paid elements of state security.

Tensions over a political standoff between the government that was installed last year through a U.N.-backed process and a rival administration appointed by the parliament have added to fears of an escalation.

A Reuters reporter said the area where the clashes took place was quiet on Thursday, with shop owners repairing damage to windows and normal life returning.

National elections have long been held up as a crucial element in any long-term solution to Libya's decade of chaos and conflict since the 2011 NATO-backed ousting of Moammar Gadhafi.

Presidential and parliamentary elections that were planned for December 2021 as part of a peace process after a truce in the civil war in 2020 fell apart at the last minute because of disputes over the rules.

Libya's rival factions have since come to a standoff over how to move the political process forward and who should rule the country in the meantime.

The eastern-based House of Representatives parliament said in December that the Tripoli administration of prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah had expired and it announced a new political roadmap and appointed Fathi Bashagha to replace him.

However, Dbeibah has rejected the parliament's moves and refused to hand over power, leaving Bashagha unable to enter Tripoli or take over control of the government.

Under an internationally recognized 2015 political agreement, major decisions need the involvement of both the House of Representatives and another legislative body, the High State Council, which is in Tripoli.

The United Nations has been facilitating talks between the two chambers in Cairo to try to bridge their differences and find agreement on how to hold elections to resolve the crisis.

However, the U.N. special adviser to Libya, Stephanie Williams, said the final round of talks between delegations from the two chambers ended this week without a breakthrough.

The talks between parliament speaker Aguila Saleh and HSC head Khaled al-Meshri, announced by Williams on Twitter, may represent the last chance at diplomacy for now.

Although all sides have said they do not want or expect another round of warfare, tensions between rival factions in western Libya have shown signs of escalation in recent weeks.

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Libya's legislative heads to tackle election standoff amid tensions | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah