Libya’s civil war

Libya's electoral body said on Saturday that it was ready to hold elections once a political agreement had been reached. US Ambassador Richard Norland met with Imad al-Sayeh, head of Libya's High National Electoral Commission (HNEC), to discuss developments in the crisis-stricken country. "It was encouraging to hear Dr. al-Sayeh confirm the HNEC's readiness to hold elections once a political agreement has been reached on the way forward," Norland was quoted as saying in a statement from the embassy.…

An armed convoy attached to Libya's parliamentary-backed Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha moved towards Tripoli on Thursday before returning when he was about to take the lead in the capital, despite the incumbent refusing to relinquish power. Parliament swore in Bashagha as prime minister a week ago, and he said on Tuesday that he would arrive in Tripoli within two days and promised to take over the government there in peace. An attempt to install Bashagha in the capital, however, could lead to clashes…

Libya's war - torn parliament rejected all "interference" in its work, its spokesman told UN envoy Stephanie Williams on Monday after she offered to mediate in an election press when the country was torn between two prime ministers. Williams had on Friday offered to host talks between the eastern legislator and the institutions in the western capital Tripoli in a push for far-delayed votes. She has also warned of an "escalation" after parliament appointed a new prime minister in an attempt to oust the…

UN envoy Stephanie Williams on Friday offered to mediate between political rivals in Libya as two rival governments claim power after tentative steps towards unity over the past year. Williams, the UN Special Adviser in Libya, invited lawmakers to appoint 12 members to a committee to work to overcome the political stalemate. "The solution to Libya's crisis is not to form rival administrations and perennial transitions," Williams tweeted. "Libyans must agree on a consensual path forward that…

Libya's parliament swore in a rival cabinet on Thursday in an attempt to oust the unity government, a move that has raised fears of another major schism in the war-torn country. The assembly, based in eastern Libya, had last month commissioned former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha to form a government. It raised the prospect of a settlement with the Western, Tripoli-based administration of Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, who has refused to hand over power to anything other than an elected government.…

Fathi Bashagha, appointed by Libya's east as prime minister, said on Wednesday that he would not use force to take office in Tripoli despite the incumbent's promise to retain power. Parliament will swear in Bashagha as prime minister on Thursday, but the head of the current interim government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, has refused to relinquish control, raising the prospect of fighting. "It will not be used by force, either by us or the existing government," Bashagha told Reuters in an interview. "Tomorrow…

Libya met with rival governments on Tuesday after parliament approved a new cabinet in a challenge to Unity Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who has refused to relinquish power until the election. In a vote, some fears could help tip the conflict-ridden nation into a new round of violence; former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha's cabinet was approved by 92 of the 101 members present, said speaker Aguila Saleh. The House of Representatives (HoR) in the eastern city of Tobruk had appointed Bashagha…

In the wake of an attempt to oust Parliament, Libya's belligerent Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah said that if he was replaced, it could trigger war in the North African country. Dbeibah spoke to Libyans late Monday, reiterating his insistence that he will only hand over power to an elected government. He drew up a seemingly unrealistic plan to hold elections in June. Already plagued by divisions between rival administrations in the East and the West, Libya has found itself with two rival prime…

The UN Special Adviser to Libya, Stephanie Williams, reiterated her call on Libyans to focus on the electoral process and maintain peace amid rising concerns for the country's future on Sunday. Last week, during a meeting with Libyan senior politicians, she highlighted the need for free and fair elections in Libya "in the shortest possible time". "I stressed the need for the various Libyan political forces to strive for the broadest possible consensus, through an inclusive and transparent process,"…

Eleven years after the overthrow of dictator Moammar Gaddafi, Libya's transition process continues as Libyans find themselves with two prime ministers, a situation that threatens to unleash a new power struggle in the war-torn nation. Just weeks after national elections scheduled for December 24 were postponed indefinitely, the East-based parliament voted to appoint the influential former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha to replace the Provisional Unity Government. Incumbent Prime Minister Abdul Hamid…