By Saber Ayyub.
Tripoli, 31 March 2016:
Nuri Abu Sahmain, the president of the rump of the General National Congress has issued an . . .[restrict]unusually mild statement characterising the Tripoli arrival of the Presidency Council as an “illegitimate coup” but declaring that he still supported the Libyan Political Dialogue.
He said that there remained “disputed issues” in the Skirhat Libyan Political Agreement which would have to be resolved before the Government of National Accord under Faiez Serraj would have any authority. He said that there needed to be more national agreement before the GNA could start to operate.
His only strong words were used to condemn last night’s attack on the al-Nabaa TV station which closed the channel down and what he said was the beating up of Ghwell administration minister Abu Ali Zakok. Zakok was apparently set upon around noon today in a Tripoli street.
Nabaa was still off the air today. The assault on the station by gunmen, has also been criticised on social media, as an attack on free speech and not a promising start for the GNA .
The statement from the GNC and Abu Sahmain ended by calling for self-control by all sides in the capital and the avoidance of bloodshed. [/restrict]
