Libyan meeting in Cairo pushes for forming new unity govt, drawing election roadmap

Cairo : Members of Libya's High Council of State and House of Representatives agreed on outlining a roadmap for holding the long-awaited presidential and legislative elections for the formation of a unified government.

The attendees agreed "to submit a roadmap proposal by members of both bodies as the basic path to completing the remaining requirements necessary to reach the elections," said a statement issued after the talk on Thursday.

They agreed to work on expanding consensus and holding elections "under the laws agreed upon and issued by the House of Representatives," reports Xinhua news agency, citing the statement.

"The Libyans agreed to invite the House of Representatives to announce the opening of nominations and begin receiving recommendations and studying the profiles of candidates who are to head a competent, nationally-led government that will oversee running the country's affairs," it said.

They stressed the need to intensify and unify efforts to end the state of "political and institutional division," as well as the importance of "national reconciliation" and "societal peace" to achieve Libya's stability and build a modern civil state.

Libya has been locked in political and military chaos since the 2011 ouster and death of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments: a UN-backed one in the capital Tripoli, and another in the northeastern city of Tobruk allied with the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) headed by commander Khalifa Haftar.

The High Council of State is an advisory body for the internationally recognised Government of National Unity based in Tripoli, while the House of Representatives based in Tobruk is the Parliament supported by the LNA. The House of Representatives backs the Government of National Stability based in Sirte, a rival to the Government of National Unity.

Due to political differences between rival factions, Libya failed to hold the long-awaited presidential and parliamentary elections that were scheduled for December 2021.