Deteriorating Living Conditions Prompt Libyan Demands for New Government

Libyan GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. (Reuters)
Libyan GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. (Reuters)
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Deteriorating Living Conditions Prompt Libyan Demands for New Government

Libyan GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. (Reuters)
Libyan GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. (Reuters)

The wave of resignations from the Government of National Accord (GNA) and accusations that it has failed in managing Libya’s affairs have prompted demands for the formation of an independent national unity government that can resolve the militia chaos sweeping the capital Tripoli.

Protests, the most recent of which took place in Tripoli on Friday, have been demanding the formation of such a government. The people have rallied against the GNA and its Presidential Council, both chaired by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and the poor living conditions.

The people complained over frequent energy cuts and the prevalence of militias.

MP Mosbah Douma Awhaida said that reviewing the Presidential Council has become a necessity in wake of the resignations and the errors in managing Libya.

He cited the resignation of Moussa al-Kouni, Ali al-Qatrani and Fathi al-Majbari from the council.

These developments have rendered the GNA and council “useless after the demise of its spirit of accord,” he noted.

It risks losing its neutral stance if its continues in its present state and it may eventually transform into a rival in the ongoing political dispute, warned the lawmaker.

“The accord that was backed by the international community and the majority of the Libyan factions is now at a crossroads. Its agenda should be revised to reflect all powers, not just certain figures,” Awhaida added.

He therefore proposed the restructuring of the executive authority until a president and deputies are chosen. This will be followed with the formation of an independent national unity government that can unite state institutions and help hold a referendum on the constitution in the lead-up to the December presidential and parliamentary elections.

Tobruk MP Saleh Hashem Ismail, meanwhile, said that there can be no talk of the formation of a national unity government.

Zintan MP Omar Ghaith Qarmil countered, however, saying that the establishment of such a cabinet “is a step in the right direction.”

“We had previously stated that a solution cannot be reached given the current division in the executive authority,” he added.

He wondered, however: “How can such a government be formed amid the dangerous security situation? How will it go about its duties while the militias are controlling the capital?”

A fertile ground is, therefore, needed to tackle the security situation and establish an environment that is necessary for the new government to carry out its duties, he said.

A number of lawmakers had held consultations in mid-June aimed at forming a national unity cabinet.

An agreement was reportedly reached, but nothing has materialized yet.

MP Jalal al-Shuwaihdi welcomed efforts to form such a cabinet, noting however that they are being hindered by several sides.

“Some powers are openly supporting such a move, but covertly working against it,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.



Lebanon’s President Reveals the Country’s Stance on Relations with Israel

 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun looks on during a meeting with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun looks on during a meeting with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)
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Lebanon’s President Reveals the Country’s Stance on Relations with Israel

 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun looks on during a meeting with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun looks on during a meeting with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)

Lebanon has no plans to have normal relations with Israel at the present time, and Beirut’s main aim is to reach a “state of no war” with its southern neighbor, the country’s president said Friday.

President Joseph Aoun’s comments came as the Trump administration is trying to expand the Abraham Accords signed in 2020 in which Israel signed historic pacts with United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

In May, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said during a visit to France that his country is holding indirect talks with Israel to prevent military activities along their border from going out of control. Talks about peace between Israel and Syria have increased following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad from power in December.

Aoun added in comments released by his office that only the Lebanese state will have weapons in the future, and the decision on whether Lebanon would go to war or not would be for the Lebanese government.

Aoun’s comments were an apparent reference to the armed Hezbollah group that fought a 14-month war with Israel, during which it suffered major blows including the killing of some of its top political and military commanders.

Hezbollah says it has ended its armed presence near the border with Israel, but is refusing to disarm in the rest of Lebanon before Israel withdraws from five overlooking border points and ends its almost daily airstrikes on Lebanon.

Earlier this week, US envoy Tom Barrack met with Lebanese leaders in Beirut, saying he was satisfied with the Lebanese government’s response to a proposal to disarm Hezbollah.

Hezbollah’s weapons have been one of the principal sticking points since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. Since then, Hezbollah fought two wars with Israel, one in 2006, and the other starting a day after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.

The Hezbollah-Israel war, which ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in November, left more than 4,000 people dead in Lebanon and caused destruction estimated at $11 billion. In Israel, 127 people, including 80 soldiers, were killed during the war.

“Peace is the state of no war and this is what is important for us in Lebanon at the present time,” Aoun was quoted as telling visitors on Friday. He added that “the matter of normalization (with Israel) is not included in Lebanon’s current foreign policy.”

Lebanon and Israel have been at a state of war since 1948.