Foreign
Libyan lawmakers gather in Morocco to unify divided parliament
Dozens of Libyan lawmakers gathered in Morocco for consultative sessions on Tuesday, the first in years to bring members of parliament from rival cities, a parliament spokesman said.
The three-day meetings began on Monday in the city of Tangiers.
“These are only consultative meetings aimed at unifying the parliament,” Fathi al-Marimi, a media advisor to Parliament Speaker Akila Saleh, said.
Parliament has been divided into two groups: A group based in the capital Tripoli and the other group, led by Saleh, based in the eastern city of Tobruk.
Libya has been divided for years as the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, led by Fayez Serraj, and the eastern-based forces led by strongman Khalifa Haftar.
The meetings in Morocco also aim at setting the date and place for an official parliament session inside Libya, al-Marimi said.
It is expected to be held in Ghadames, an oasis town in western Libya near the borders with Tunisia and Algeria.
A Facebook page affiliated with the group in Tripoli posted a video on Tuesday showing dozens of lawmakers in a large hall as both the Moroccan and Libyan national anthems were played.
The UN Support Mission in Libya welcomed the move to hold the session in Tangiers as a positive step, hoping that the House of Representatives work together to implement a roadmap outlined at recent UN-brokered talks.
The rival delegates agreed to hold national elections on Dec. 24, 2021.
The UN is currently mediating three sets of talks between Libya’s warring parties: political, military and economic negotiations.
(
Edited By: Emmanuel Okara)
(NAN)
Edited By: Fatima Sule/
(NAN)
