By Sami Zaptia.
London, 17 October 2018:
The likelihood of Faiez Serraj and his Presidency Council (PC) being replaced became more likely yesterday.
During its session in Tobruk yesterday, the House of Representatives (HoR) welcomed the general approval of its proposal for the restructuring of the PC by the Tripoli-based High State Council (HSC).
However, the HoR added four amendments to the HSC counter-proposal.
Firstly, the HoR proposed the annulment of the controversial article 8 of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) signed in Skhirat in December 2015. The article is concerned with the unification of the Libyan army and the appointment of its leader.
The HoR’s official spokesperson, Abdalla Belheeg, said that the matter will be left to the committee that has been meeting regularly in Cairo on the topic.
The second HoR amendment stipulates that a 30-day time limit is imposed during which the HoR and HSC choose the new three-member PC.
Thirdly, the HoR stipulated that once chosen, the three PC members have one week to choose a leader amongst them. If they fail to choose, they have a final second week.
If they fail to choose their leader after two weeks, they are dismissed and the HoR and HSC must choose another three new PC members using the same agreed mechanism.
Fourthly, the HoR preferred that the mechanism for choosing the heads of Libya’s top sovereign positions be left as it is – to be decided as stipulated by the LPA.
It must be noted that the cooperation and accord that has broken out between the HoR and HSC has been unprecedented since the formation of the HSC by the LPA.
This has become most notably since the south Tripoli militia fighting broke out in August-September this year.
Nevertheless, Libyan political history since the overthrow of Qaddafi in the 2011 revolution has proven very fractious and polarized.
It is yet to be seen if the discontentmen with the performance of the Faiez Serraj Presidency Council and its Government of National Accord will be unifying enough to enable the HoR and HSC to successfully choose a new PC.
https://www.libyaherald.com/2018/10/16/hsc-approves-hor-mechanism-for-reforming-pc-with-amendments/
https://www.libyaherald.com/2018/10/13/hsc-debates-pc-reform-proposes-amendments-for-a-vote-on-monday/
https://www.libyaherald.com/2018/09/28/hor-pushes-ahead-with-reforming-a-new-unified-presidency-council/
