Open to any step leading to a democratic process in Libya and end the crisis, the U.N. and European Union have announced their support for Prime Minister Faiez al-Sarraj’s political initiative.
“The U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) welcomes the initiative, and any other initiative proposed by any of Libya’s major actors and offers its good offices to assist the country to emerge from its long state of transition towards a period of peace, stability and prosperity,” according to UNSMIL’s statement on Sunday.
Meanwhile, spokesperson for the EU foreign policy chief, Maya Kosyanchich, said the EU will continue to encourage the Libyan people and the U.N. mission’s efforts to build lasting peace, and achieve stability and prosperity in the country.
On the other hand, the LNA rejected Monday the initiative proposed, saying “there is no guarantee for any political process in Libya now.”
“The political solution is not appropriate to resolve the Libyan crisis especially with the presence of battalions and armed groups in Tripoli,” Khaled Mahjoub, head of the Moral Guidance Department at the LNA, told the Russian news agency.
Amid the escalating civil war in Libya and the transfer of weapons to armed groups, Sarraj, head of the Government of National Accord, proposed on Sunday a political initiative to unify the state institutions.
“I present today a political initiative for a way out of crisis… (involving) simultaneous presidential and legislative elections before the end of 2019,” Sarraj said in a short speech broadcast by Libyan al-Wataniya TV, without specifying a date for polls.
The initiative was announced a week after Italy urged Sarraj to leave the capital as dangers are escalating with the progress of the LNA towards the city where the GNA is based.
The White House, on the other hand, praised the LNA on April 19 for its counterterrorism efforts, and Commander Khalifa Haftar’s “significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources.”
