By Libya Herald reporters.
Tunis, 31 March 2016:
It has been leaked that the EU intended tomorrow to sanction three leading politicians for . . .[restrict]obstructing the Libyan political process.
Financial penalties and possibly travel restrictions are supposed to be announced in tomorrow’s edition of the EU’s official journal on Khalifa Ghwell, Nuri Abu Sahmain and House of Representatives president Ageela Saleh.
Yet such a move may be counterproductive in the case of Saleh and Abu Sahmain and of little use if applied to Ghwell. As of today Ghwell has abandoned Tripoli and his leadership of the self-styled National Salvation government, returning to his Misratan hometown.
Led by UNSMIL chief Martin Kobler, international pressure has been building on Saleh to persuade a sufficient number of HoR members to vote to accept the Presidency Council and the Government of National Accord. A second vote is also sought. This would transfer from parliament the power to appoint to the heads of key institutions, including the armed forces, the Central Bank and the National Oil Corporation.
The Libya Herald has been told that the sanctions targets were agreed some days ago. However it was decided to wait to see if, as the UN Security Council required, the Presidency Council would be able to relocate from Tunis to Tripoli. [/restrict]
