Egypt and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed on Friday the agreement on a new interim executive authority for Libya.
Earlier in the day, members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) voted for a new prime minister and a new presidency council during a voting session in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations.
In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Cairo aspires to work with the Libyan interim government during the coming period until power is handed over to the elected government following the elections scheduled for Dec. 24.
Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah was selected as the new Libyan prime minister and Mohammad Younes Menfi as president of the Presidency Council. Mossa Al-Koni and Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi were selected as members of the council.
The new Libya interim executive authority will present a new government to the House of Representatives within 21 days.
Egypt also urged all international and regional parties to support this peaceful track in order to settle the crisis in a manner that would contribute to restoring stability in Libya and lead to the halt of foreign interference in its affairs as well as the departure of all foreign fighters.
Egypt has hosted several meetings in Cairo and Hurghada over the past few months, as part of its efforts to help in resolving the Libyan crisis.
“Today we have very good news in our search for peace. I welcome the selection by members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) of a unified, temporary executive authority,” Guterres told reporters.
He called on all members of the dialogue and the Libyan and international stakeholders to respect the results of Friday’s vote.
He congratulated the three new members of the Presidency Council and the prime minister-designate on their selection, and wished them every success in their mandate to lead Libya for the remainder of the preparatory phase, leading up to national elections in December 2021.
“I welcome the pledges made by the new executive authority to form a government, reflecting political pluralism, geographical representation; and its commitment to include no less than 30 percent of women in executive positions, as well as to ensure the participation of youth.”
“I also call on the new executive authority and all concerned Libyan stakeholders to approve the principles and timelines set out in the Tunis roadmap,” he said.
After the cease-fire that was agreed, the selection that took place shows that Libya is moving in the right direction, he added.
The United Nations’ commitment to supporting the Libyan people in their efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous country will continue, said Guterres.
Libya has been locked in a civil war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
