The Libyan parties that participated in the Palermo Conference “did not aim to resolve” the country’s political crisis, but to strengthen their positions as key players in the political scene, member of the High Council of State (HCS) Abu Qasim Qazit told 218NEWS Wednesday.
He added that one of Palermo conference’s main goals was to support the security measures adopted by the Presidency Council recently, as well as to promote economic reforms signed by the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) in Tripoli.
“We did not expect much from the Palermo conference, as it only aimed to support Faiez Sarraj [head of the Presidency Council] and give him more international recognition,” said Qazit of the HCS, which advises both the Presidency Council and the House of Representatives.
Over two days, Palermo hosted an international conference aimed at helping restore peace in Libya, inviting Libyan political groups and regional powers to reach a common work plan.
The Palermo conference underscored that achieving such progress would require sustained attention to the economic and security aspects of the conflict. It called on the Libyan government in Tripoli to accelerate the implementation of comprehensive monetary and subsidy reforms, which Libya urgently needs to stabilize its economy.
Equally critical is promoting greater transparency of Libya’s economic institutions, including the CBL. These reforms will support a much-needed conversation among Libyans about enhancing fiscal transparency and promoting a more equitable distribution of the country’s oil resources.
The Libyan parties that went to the Nov. 12-13 Palermo conference issued a final statement. It urged all sides in Libya to respect the eligibility of elections and counter those who try to block the poll, announcing full support to Libyan legitimate institutions to assume their responsibilities for the holding fair elections.
The conference emphasized the need to adopt a constitution that affirms Libyan sovereignty, supports the dialogue to build a united military and security institutions. The participating parties agreed that the Skhirat agreement is the only way to reach a political solution in Libya. They also voiced their support to the U.N. plan and the efforts of its envoy Ghassan Salame in Libya.
