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By Libya Herald reporter.
Tripoli, 22 October 2015:
Twenty-one boycotting members of the House of Representatives (HoR) have issued a statement in support . . .[restrict]of the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by prime minister-designate Faiez Al-Serraj and of the final text of the Libya Dialogue agreement issued on 8 October.
Calling on Libyans to go onto the streets to demonstrate in favour of the agreement, the 21 members also said that any proposed names for inclusion in the new government was for Serraj to decide. The comment is seen as a reference to UN Special Envoy Bernardino Leon’s controversial list of 17 names whom he suggested be given government ministries.
Absent from the signatories (see below) were Abu Sleem elected member Abdulraouf Al-Manaie and Benghazi member Ali Ramadan Abuzakuk. Both have become virulently opposed to the HoR. Al-Manaie insists that he is not a boycotting member since the HoR does not legally exist and allegedly said recently that if Dialogue deal were accepted by the General National Congress in Tripoli he would put on a military uniform.
Separately, a group of 25 members of the continuing General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli, referred to as the National Accord Bloc, have also issued a statement in support of the Dialogue agreement and the GNA. The only name attached to the statement, however, is that of the group’s leader, Abu Qassem Igzeit, from Misrata. The others say it would be too dangerous for them to publicly announce their support.
At a press conference in Tunis yesterday, Leon yesterday said that some 70 members of the HoR and another 70 of the GNC were in favour of the agreement, suggesting that these figures constituted a majority in both places, but that neither body had been allowed to vote on the deal.
According to diplomatic sources, Leon was told by Ahmed Maetig, one of the three deputy prime ministers-designate, that he could deliver up to 70 GNC members in support of the agreement. Although only 25 have gone semi-public, the Libya Herald was informed today that Maetig says he now 60 members agreeing to the deal. It remains to be seen if they will go public.
Following Monday’s meeting of the HoR when it was announced that it had rejected the deal and the proposed GNA despite not having a vote, there were claims on social media that some 70 members planned to make a statement complaining about the lack of a vote. However, this newspaper has been told that at the time, only around 20 HoR members fully supported the Dialogue deal.
Signatories to the HoR boycotters statement:
- Emarah Shanbaru, Mohamed Al-Hanaish, Ali Abu Zareeba (Zawia)
- Mohamed Al-Raied, Mohamed Hneish, Fathi Bashagha, Sulaiman Al-Fagieh (Misrata)
- Asmahan Belaoun (Benghazi)
- Rabia Al-Fagieh, Mustafa Abushagur (Suq Al-Juma)
- Mohamed Araifa, Ahmad Arhuma, Fatima Abu Seeda (Sebha)
- Asayda Al-Yaqoubi, Naeem Al-Gheriani, Salah Zubaik (Gharyan)
- Salem Ignan (Nalut)
- Tarek Abu Heesa (Yefren)
- Nasr Al-Ghariani (Ghat)
- Kamal Al-Shalabi (Khoms)
- Akram Essa Omar (Kikla)
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