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By Ajnadin Mustafa.
Tripoli, 8 August 2016:
Representatives from some 60 municipalities meeting in Sabratha today have demanded that the Presidency Council and the Government of National Accord (GNA) ensure the reopening of the oilfield and terminals and of the coast road.
Oil, the participants said, was Libya’s only income and it had to be brought back on stream fast.
They also demanded that the Central Bank of Libya act to ensure there was money in circulation and stop the slide in the value of the dinar, which was pushing up prices. A further demand was that the authorities start helping refugees and the displaced to return home, and agree to make provision for them to be compensated for their losses.
As to reopening the coastal highway, the defence and interior ministries had a responsibility to see it happened.
If none of these demands were met, the municipalities said they would reconsider their support for the UN Libya Dialogue which had produced the Presidency Council and the GNA.
The weakness of the government, the mayor of Sabratha declared, had put additional responsibility on the shoulders of the municipal councils. Moreover, the current suffering of the Libyans was wholly the result of the weakness of those authorities.
Almost all of those present were from municipalities either in the west or the south. Those in the east boycotted it, even though the theme of the gathering was national reconciliation. However, during the meeting, the mayor of Sabratha suggested that a next meeting be held in the east of the country.
Representatives from the south meanwhile suggested that the mayors visit their region to see the problems there.
One suggestion from the mayor of Zintan was that a delegation from the conference go to the Wirshefana and Zawia and listen to the views of both communities.
