At least three participants were bribed to vote for the newly elected caretaker Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah at UN-led peace talks in Libya, experts from the world body found in a report to the Security Council, seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Sunday.
Dbeibah was selected earlier this month during Libya’s Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), which began in Tunisia in November, the UN’s latest attempt to save the country from a decade of conflict and fragmentation.
In a report to be submitted to the Security Council in March, UN experts found that two participants “during the talks in Tunisia” offered bribes of between $ 150,000 and $ 200,000 to at least three LPDF participants if they undertook to vote for Dbeibah as prime minister. . “
Dbaibah on Monday dismissed the allegations as “fake news”. The National Unity Government (GNU) Media Office was quoted by Libyan Al Ahrar TV as saying that the fake news was trying to hinder the formation of the GNU and block its chances of gaining the confidence of the House of Representatives.
“Getting the first phase of the roadmap has become very close as the House of Representatives prepares to give GNU confidence. The political and institutional divisions are coming to an end and the poor services and the terrible economic conditions in the country, says the media office.
The UN report, which has not yet been published, was prepared by UN experts tasked with investigating violations of an international arms embargo against the North African nation.
In part of their AFP report, experts reported that a delegate “broke out in anger in the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel in Tunis when they heard that some participants may have received up to … $ 500,000 for their Dbeibah” votes, while he had only received $ 200,000. “
A participant in the talks, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed to AFP that he had witnessed the scene and expressed anger over “unacceptable corruption at a time when Libya is going through a major crisis”.
Tunisia’s talks aimed to create a transitional administration to lead the country towards elections scheduled for December.
In February, the 75 participants hand-picked by the UN to represent a wide range of Libyan constituencies elected an interim administration led by Dbeibah and a three-member presidential council.
Dbeibah must now gain the confidence of his government from the Libyan parliament by March 19.
Dbeibah said on Thursday that he had submitted a “vision” for a government line-up but that the names of proposed ministers would be revealed in parliament during the election.
The latest allegations came after several Libyan organizations in November demanded an investigation into allegations of corruption due to the election of future officials.
UN interim Libyan envoy at the time Stephanie Williams told delegates and journalists she had launched an investigation into allegations of bribery.
In a letter seen by AFP on February 20, LPDF participants Sayida Kamel Yaacoubi and Azza Mahmoud Assid Williams’ permanent successor Jan Kubis called for the publication of the expert report, saying the accusations were an insult to their “dignity, honor and openness”. .
On the other hand, GNU’s media office also welcomed the approval of the 5 + 5 Joint Military Commission, which secured a House of Representatives meeting in the coastal province of Sirte.
After the committee initially stated on Saturday that it did not have the military force needed to secure a planned parliamentary session in Sirte to vote on a new cabinet, it said on Sunday that the committee was ready.
On Friday, Aquila Saleh, a speaker for the Tobruk-based parliament, called on the assembly to meet in Sirte on March 8 to vote on a new unity government.
General Ahmad Abu Shahma, the head of the government’s military committee and a member of the 5 + 5 joint military commission, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the committee agreed to withdraw foreign forces from Sirte during the time the deputies will be there.
However, the deadline for foreigners of foreign mercenaries from Libya during a ceasefire in October passed in January, but mercenaries remain in Libya because no movement has been announced or observed on the ground.
Under an agreement reached on October 23, Libya’s rivals – the UN-recognized National Agreement (GNA) government in the Libyan capital Tripoli and the East-based Putist general Khalifa Haftar – reached a nationwide permanent ceasefire in Geneva, including a three-month withdrawal deadline. of foreign troops and mercenaries.
Foreign mercenaries and weapons have flowed into the country since Haftar began its offensive, with Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) serving as the putschist general’s best suppliers. According to the UN, there are currently 20,000 foreign forces and / or mercenaries in Libya.
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