US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aqila Saleh, spoke on the phone and discussed how to deescalate tensions, avoid violence, and restore momentum to parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible.
Norland welcomed Saleh’s commitment to engage with UN efforts to reach a speedy agreement on a constitutional basis, and his emphasis on the critical role of the HNEC. The two sides also agreed that Libya cannot go back to the turmoil of the past.
It is worth noting that Norland’s conversation with Saleh was preceded by a call with the Chargé d’Affairs of the United Kingdom’s embassy, Kate English, in which English confirmed her support for the march towards the Libyan elections, and also confirmed her intention to visit the city of Benghazi and the eastern region during the coming days, in addition to her desire to meet “Saleh” at his residence in the city of Al-Qubba.
