By Libya Herald reporters.
Tunis, 12 July 2016:
In advance of Sunday’s reconvened Libyan Dialogue in Tunis, UNSMIL chief Martin Kobler has been in Cairo talking to the Egyptians, the Arab League and stand-out Presidency Council member Ali Gatrani.
Gatrani is one of the three eastern members of the nine-strong Presidency Council. He has always opposed Clause 8 of the Libyan Political Agreement by which supreme command of the Libyan armed forces is removed from Ageela Saleh, president of the House of Representatives and vested in the PC .
The HoR has regularly failed to vote on an amendment to the Libyan Constitutional Declaration that would admit Clause 8. It has also not got around to deciding on the acceptability of the Government of National Accord as proposed by prime minister-designate Faeiz Serraj.
Kobler described today’s Cairo encounter with Gatrani, who was accompanied by HoR member Ziyad Daghim, as cordial, frank and constructive.
The UNSMIL chief also met the new Arab League secretary-general Ahmet Abulgheit and said that he had briefed him on the Libyan political situation.
Kobler had an earlier meeting with Egypt’s assistant minister of Defence, General Mohamed el-Keshky, saying afterwards that it had been a rich and candid exchange of ideas on ways to break the political stalemate. He added that he was aways encouraged by Egypt’s positive and constructive role in Libya.
