The agreed criteria and mechanisms are provided for in Article 15 of the Skhirat Agreement, signed in Morocco in December 2015 (Photo: Moroccan agency)
Delegations from the Libyan High State Council and the House of Representatives who took part in the second round of inter-Libyan dialogue in Bouznika stressed late Tuesday that the round ended with comprehensive agreements on the criteria and mechanisms for filling sovereignty positions, the Moroccan official news agency MAP reported.
Sovereign positions include: the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Head of the Audit Bureau, Head of the Administrative Control Authority, Head of the Anti-Corruption Authority, President and members of the High Electoral Commission, the President of the Supreme Court, and the Attorney General
The agreed criteria and mechanisms are provided for in Article 15 of the Skhirat Agreement, signed in Morocco in December 2015.
The Skhirat agreement produced political entities whose composition and jurisdictions triggered bitter discord between the rival parties. The agreement was unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council which has recognized that the Government of National Accord (GNA) is the sole legitimate government of Libya.
The Skhirat agreement gives executive authority to the GNA, while leaving legislative authority to the House of Representatives as it was following the June 2014 elections. It also establishes the High State Council a consultative body independent of the GNA.
The two Libyan delegations specified, in a final declaration issued at the end of the round, held from 2 to 6 October in the kingdom, that "the outcome of the dialogue between the two delegations constitutes a contribution on which it is possible to capitalise, to establish stability in the country and put an end to the institutional division."
In the final declaration read at a press conference by Driss Omran of the Libyan House of Representatives, both parties expressed "their determination to continue their consultative meetings in the Kingdom of Morocco, in order to coordinate the action of political, executive and control institutions, thus ensuring the end of the transitional period."
The Libyan delegations said that "the dialogue sessions were marked by a spirit of national responsibility that gave priority to the general interest, with the aim of overcoming the current political division."
Libya has been divided between two authorities in Tripoli and Tobruk for six years. While the GNA is based in the capital Tripoli, commander Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) controls the east and is allied to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives.
The LNA is backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France and Russia, while the GNA is backed by Turkey, Qatar and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.
On 22 August, both parties declared a ceasefire that ended fears about possible GNA aggression against the port city of Sirte, 370 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli, and Jufra, which has a major military airbase.
These rounds of talks that concluded in Morocco aim at tackling preparations for mid-October’s meetings in Geneva, which will include discussions on details of the post-conflict transitional period, including the restructuring of state institutions.
Moroccan support to resolve the crisis
Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita welcomed the positive spirit that marked the second round of the inter-Libyan dialogue in Bouznika.
The minister cited the support of King Mohamed VI of Morocco for everything that contributes to the stability of Libya and allows the country to emerge from the crisis it has known for years, adding that the Royal Vision is based on the "unconditional support of the Libyan brothers and all their initiatives aimed at reaching consensus and resolving the crisis.”
The dialogue relies on the legitimate institutions, namely the High State Council and the House of Representatives as the main foundations of any solution in Libya, based on legitimacy and accountability, he said.
“Both delegations have put the best interest first and reacted responsibly in seeking consensus to all disputes,” he added.
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