The international community rejects the attempt of the Tobruk Chamber of Deputies to set up a new government with a new leader.
The will of the presidency of the Libyan Parliament to form a new government which will succeed the Union government led by Abdelhamid Dbeibeh, has come up against an international rejection led by Turkey and the United Kingdom, and to a lesser extent, by United States.
Indeed, the dominant wing in the Chamber of Deputies, led by the presidential candidate, Aguila Salah, and in the background the retired general, Khalifa Haftar, and the former Minister of the Interior, Fathi Bachagha, is working to exploit the failure of the organization of the elections, dated December 24, to withdraw the confidence and legitimacy of Dbeibeh considered to be one of the main favorites to win the presidential election.
An international position supporting the maintenance of the government
Media close to Haftar highlighted the Egyptian regime’s support for bringing down Dbeibeh’s government and forming a new alliance between Haftar and Bachagha to lead the next step. However, several influential countries in the Libyan dossier do not seem enthusiastic to bring this scenario to fruition, which could pave the way for a political vacancy, or even worse, an armed conflict.
This explains the publication by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy of a joint communiqué on December 24 in which these Western powers ask the authorities to “respect the aspirations of the Libyan people for the rapid holding of elections by hastening the determination of a final date for the election and by publishing, without delay, the final list of presidential candidates ”.
The five Western countries have, in particular, emphasized in their press release that “the transfer of power from the current provisional executive authority (Presidential Council and Union government) to the new executive power must be carried out at the outcome of the proclamation of the results of the immediate presidential and legislative elections ”.
This is a frank international rejection of the appeal launched by Bachagha and the group of Haftar and Aguila, who want to put an end to the mandate of the Union government or even that of the Presidential Council. The international community also rejects the attempt by the Tobruk Chamber of Deputies to set up a new government with a new leader.
Thus, the main Western countries will maintain their recognition of the Union government and will not recognize another cabinet that can be unilaterally proclaimed by the Tobruk Chamber of Deputies, without the approval of the High Council of State (legislative consultative) based in Tripoli. .
It therefore seems that Egypt is the only one to support a new government alternative to that of Dbeibeh, considering that the latter is closer to Ankara than to Cairo.
Although Egypt has not announced an official position on this matter, the fact remains that the hearing granted by its intelligence services to Bachagha, immediately after his handshake with Haftar, reveals which camp it is. supports.
UK opposes the formation of a parallel government
These international positions of support for maintaining the government of the National Union until the election of a new president and parliament have been reinforced by the position displayed by Ankara.
Indeed, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued, the same day, a statement in which Ankara emphasized: “the imperative that there is to avoid a vacuum of power and legality in Libya, until the formation of a new government after the elections ”.
In this context, it is worth highlighting a well-known fact, that of the publication by the United Kingdom of a separate press release, shortly after the publication by the five Western countries, including London, of their press release.
The British press release could reflect either London’s reservations regarding the content of the press release from other countries or highlight what was not clarified or made explicit in the first press release.
The United Kingdom stressed in its statement that it “will continue to recognize the Government of National Union as the authority responsible for leading Libya by the time of the elections”, mentioning, moreover, that it does not “support the creation of governments or parallel institutions”.
It emerges from this mention, at least implicitly, that certain Libyan parties had or still intend to form a government and institutions parallel to those which currently exist (Central Bank, Oil company, etc.), as the situation prior to March 2021.
This further explains the reaction of the Tobruk Chamber of Deputies which denounced “the interference of the British Embassy in the internal affairs of the country”, considering that “the choosing a new government or maintaining the current one is a matter of the exclusive competence of Parliament ”.
In addition, Bachagha, who announced the end of the Union government’s mandate on December 24, criticized the British position in front of a rally of his supporters in Misrata.
He said, on this subject, that “the United Kingdom defends the government of National Union despite its suspicions (corruption) while London has the best criteria for the fight against corruption”.
Pressure from Washington on Dbeibeh
The support of the United States for maintaining the Union government was not necessarily linked to the return of Dbeibeh to chair it after the postponement of the presidential election, especially since Dbeibeh is one of the candidates.
During a meeting, held on December 20, between Dbeibeh and the American ambassador, Richard Norland, the latter called on “candidates to conduct their electoral campaigns separately from their official posts or their offices”.
Although Norland did not mention Dbeibeh by name, the fact remains that he was personally targeting him by these remarks, as well as the president of the chamber of deputies, Aguila Salah, and Khalifa Haftar, who leads the militias of the east of the country, as well as Khaled Shakshak, president of the Court of Auditors.
This point was confirmed in the last press release made public by five Western countries, where it is said that “to avoid conflicts of interest and strengthen the principle of fair opportunities, candidates who occupy official positions in public institutions, must continue not to perform their functions until the proclamation of the elections”.
The appeal launched by Western countries to the quartet, Dbeibeh, Aguila, Haftar, and Shakshak did not have a positive or effective echo with the personalities concerned.
Dbeibeh has recovered the presidency of the government and Aguila Salah is expected to return to the presidency of the chamber of deputies to “satisfy” the appeal launched by the multiparty parliamentary committee which announced the impossibility of holding the election. on the scheduled date.
The American pressure on Dbeibeh was exerted this time by the special adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Stéphanie Williams, who noted that “all those who were candidates for positions in the executive power during the process of the Forum of the United Nations. Libyan political dialogue presented written commitments not to stand as candidates in the next elections”.
Williams made the statement when answering the question of whether Dbeibeh had the right to run for president or not, as Washington is pressuring the current Head of Government to either not run for president. Presidential or renounce the presidency of the Union government.
Dbeibeh maintained at the head of the government with the support of Méchri
However, this American position does not seem to convince Dbeibeh, especially since the date of the election has not yet been decided. The mystery and lack of confidence in holding an election in a short period of time are still in effect, despite the suggested January 24 date.
Indeed, the Chamber of Deputies, which is working to develop a new roadmap, suffers a refusal from the High Council of State (consultative legislative) which refuses any monopoly of any party to steer the electoral process. without consultations.
Khaled Méchri, president of the High Council of State, declared, in this regard, that “any unilateral measure which will be taken by the Chamber of Deputies, and without consensus with the High Council, is doomed to failure, that it concerns the development of a road map, the promulgation of laws or any attempt to change the executive power ”.
For her part, the UN adviser Stéphanie Williams carried out marathon meetings with the various Libyan actors and is preparing to reactivate the Political Forum, which will make it possible to develop a new roadmap and reduce the influence and power of the Chamber of Deputies which has so far failed to bring the country to fruition.
