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U.N. Special Envoy Calls for Libyan National Unity Cabinet | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Fayez Sarraj attends a meeting with officials of municipal council of Tripoli. Reuters


Tunis- U.N. Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Libya Martin Kobler said that formation of a national unity government and receiving a vote of confidence were still presenting a challenge.

Kobler held a press conference at the end of the inter-Libyan dialogue in Tunis during which he presented the outcome of the talks. He stressed that the only way to end the crisis in Libya is by forming a strong government.

Members of the Libyan Political Dialogue and others held on Monday two days of consultative meetings in Tunis to try to find a way out of the Libyan political crisis and commit to the political agreement signed in Skhirat, Morocco last year.

During the political dialogue, several points of disagreement had been discussed. Member of the political dialogue committee Toufiq al-Shouhaibi said that the participants haven’t reached an agreement yet and denied that the position of Minister of Defense is the sticking point.

Shouhaibi told the press that “the issue is bigger than that.”

He explained that General Khalifa Haftar is a controversial person knowing that he is accepted in Benghazi and rejected in Tripoli.

Libyan media sources unveiled that the Libyan parties had disagreements concerning the Government of National Accord (GNA) with some calling for the formation of a new cabinet and canceling all the previous decisions of the presidential council.

Head of Presidential Council and Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj confirmed that any military leadership must work under the umbrella of the political leadership, hinting to Haftar.

Sarraj stressed that Article 8 of the political agreement must be respected.

The article states that all military and so-called sovereign portfolios should be transferred to the presidential council, including the position of the general commander of the Libyan army currently occupied by Haftar.

The U.N.-backed GNA headed by Sarraj has lost a parliamentary vote of confidence, which resulted in a dispute regarding the fate of the presidential council.

Observers believe that the Tunis meeting will not have any positive outcomes given that an agreement hasn’t been reached, especially about Article 8.