Brussels, 26/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 25 February, the ambassadors and special envoys of the European Union, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the UK and USA hailed the support of 101 members of the Libyan House of Representatives for the government of national accord.
In a joint press release, they hail “the expression of approval by members of the House of Representatives in which they declared their support for the government of national accord proposed by the presidential Council”. In the view of the ambassadors and special envoys, this statement is an “important signal” that the majority of the House of Representatives are ready to formally endorse the government, as outlined in the Libyan political agreement. The ambassadors and special envoys therefore call on the president of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, to acknowledge the approval of the government of national accord and its programme.
In the view of the representatives of the EU, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the UK and USA, those who block progress in the political process “act against the explicit will of the majority”. The Western representatives are also concerned at the fact that the parliamentarians' statement mentions threats of violence and intimidation against members of the presidential Council, and they say that such threats have no place in any democratic process.
Once again, the Western representatives underlined the “urgent need” to establish a government “to provide the security and stability that the Libyan people deserve”. They also stated that they were ready to respond positively to requests from the government of national accord for support and assistance to improve the lives of all Libyans and address Libya's challenges in restoring security, the rule of law, and a functioning economy.
The international community has been waiting for weeks for the Tobruk Parliament's approval of a government. The second version of the government includes 13 ministers and five secretaries of state, including three women. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)