UN Chief Urges Stability for Libya Must Be 'Top Priority'

On Saturday, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on “all parties to continue to preserve stability in Libya as a top priority.”

He said he took note of the vote taken on Thursday, by the country’s eastern-based House of Representatives, to designate a new Prime Minister.

According to news reports, parliamentarians voted to put a new interim government in place, over the objections of the internationally recognized Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeiba, who said that he would not step down, calling the decision illegitimate.

The development could reportedly once more see two rival administrations vying for overall authority, with the UN-backed Government and institutions based in the capital Tripoli, while a new parliament-backed authority establishes itself under the leadership of former interior minister, Fathi Bashagha.

Oil-rich Libya descended into rival factions and bloody conflict following the overthrow of long-time ruler Muammar Gadaffi, in 2011.

UN-brokered negotiations towards lasting peace and a new democratic constitution saw major progress a year ago towards unifying the country through the UN-led, inclusive, Libyan Political Dialogue Forum.