Libya's LPDF Members Agree on Mechanism to Select Transitional Gov't

On Tuesday, members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) approved a mechanism of selecting a new transitional government, according to the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNISML).

In a statement, the UN mission said that some 73% of LPDF members voting at United Nations-convened political discussions in Geneva backed the proposal, adding that meetings last year led to setting a December 2021 election date, agreeing a mechanism for assembling a unified government to rule until then has hit obstacles.

The North African country has been pided since a NATO-backed uprising ousted dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011, unleashing successive conflicts.

Fighting in recent years has pitted the internationally recognized Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj against eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar, both of whom have received support from competing regional powers.

Forming a unified government could stabilize Libya’s oil output, which was hit by blockades last year that cut the flow to almost nothing before it rebounded to more than 1 million barrels a day as peace efforts progressed.

The political talks are part of a broader peace-making push that includes military and economic tracks. The initial proposals for the government selection mechanism were made by an advisory committee of Libyan regional representatives involved in the Geneva talks.