Libya – House of Representatives member Ali Al-Takbali said Turkey’s invitation to the heads of the House of Representatives and the State Council to meet in Ankara is part of its effort to entrench a role for itself and steer events onto a path it believes it can influence.
Speaking on the programme Hiwarayat Al-Layla on Libya Al-Ahrar TV, Al-Takbali said the ‘4+4’ initiative is on the table, but that the Turkish side had intervened in matters belonging to the ‘6+6’ elections committee and other issues outside the current scope of the UN initiative.
He argued that Turkey wants to strengthen its presence in the scene by bringing in parties that were not part of the ‘6+6’ committee to intervene in new files.
The two chambers and the UN threat
Al-Takbali added that the current parties recognise they could be pushed aside from events, noting that both chambers initially rejected the UN envoy’s initiative before House Speaker Aguila Saleh accepted it, driven by what Al-Takbali described as shrewdness and realism.
He said the Turkey meeting was preliminary and aimed at introducing amendments to the ‘6+6’ track, stressing that the UN threat to the two chambers had, in his view, left them with a choice between accepting or leaving the scene.
He expected the House of Representatives to accept these solutions, while stressing that the solution does not lie solely with the two chambers or with Turkey.
Call for an international conference
He noted that the Turkish hosting had come under slogans of unification and preparing for stability, but argued that the real problem lies in reducing the House of Representatives to individuals who have no right to represent it.
He said the international situation is no longer limited to confronting the United States, but includes understandings with Russia and a strong entry by China and other states, calling for no country that contributed to the crisis or its resolution to be overlooked, and for an international conference bringing all parties together to overcome the crisis.
Participants and the reconstruction file
He said questions and objections had been raised about Hamid Al-Safi’s participation and who allowed him to go, urging Aguila Saleh to clarify that to MPs, and stressing that he was not against anyone, but that the speaker does not, in his view, have the right to act without consulting the legislature.
The path closest to implementation
Al-Takbali added that opponents of the initiative would eventually join it, noting that there is still no confirmation of who will head the Presidential Council or the House of Representatives.
He stressed that talk of agreement on everything is incorrect, expecting the ‘4+4’ track to prevail after UN and US intervention, alongside a cautious return of the British role.
He argued that the UN path backed by the United States and the international community is the closest to being realised on the ground — and what international parties want to end the problem — stressing that the continuation of the current situation faces initiatives from major powers intervening strongly to end the Libyan crisis.
