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By Libyan Herald reporters.
Tripoli, 22 August 2016:
Smarting from today’s House of Representatives (HoR) vote against the Government of National Accord, several dozen members who support it are to go to Cairo tomorrow hoping to convince the Egyptian parliament to actively support the Presidency Council and the government it choses rather than General Khalifa Hafter and the Beida beised Thinni administration.
The delegation is being led by Misratan HoR member Mohamed Raeid but may also include one of the Presidency Council deputy leaders, fellow Misratan Ahmed Maetig.
Whether the parliament will listen is another matter.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was reported today to have to told the Egyptian media today that Egypt supports the HoR and the forces local to the interim government of Abdullah Al-Thinni – in other words the Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa Hafter.
In an interview with Egyptian daily Youm Assabah published two days ago, Raeid demanded the Egyptian government support the Presidency Council and not deal with anyone not part of the Libyan Political Agreement – a reference to Khalifa Hafter. He said that over 80 percent of the population in the east of Libya backed the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) which presented the only possible solution to Libya’s troubles. As to Hafter, he agreed that the controversial Additional Clause 8 of the LPA under which the Presidency Council becomes commander of the armed forces and appoints a new military chief must be enacted.
The clause is seen by Hafter supporters as targeting their hero.
