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President of Libyan House of Representatives: Presidential Election Only Solution

President of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh. Reuters
President of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh. Reuters
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President of Libyan House of Representatives: Presidential Election Only Solution

President of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh. Reuters
President of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh. Reuters

President of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh has called for holding presidential elections as being the only solution to end the country’s bitter conflict for many years now.

In a TV interview on Saturday, Saleh said that those who are opposing these elections "want to remain in power."

He also considered that the continuation of the conflict is "a deliberate conspiracy that creates an excuse for external interventions in Libya’s internal affairs and violates the sovereignty and independence of the state” and urged to unite ranks to end the crisis faced by the country.

Saleh stressed that the elections will “bring all parties out of the scene in a peaceful and democratic way, without falling into a political vacuum and a new conflict.”

“The unification of institutions and the formation of a national government that will meet all citizens' requirements will enable the House of Representatives to monitor and hold them accountable,” he said, adding that Libyans should hold the deputies accountable for not attending the meetings.

Also, armed clashes in the Libyan capital have left 115 killed and 560 injured since August 27 and up until September 22, the field hospital of the Injured Affairs Department reported. It added that 17 persons are still missing due to the clashes.

"The killed are both civilian and military individuals in addition to foreign workers and unidentified persons. There are 383 injured whose cases are between serious and medium while 117 others have simple injuries." the hospital explained in an official statement.

The Department added that 156 families had been evacuated from different clashes' zones and 264 others were given lifesaving aids.

Reuters reported that armed groups from outside Tripoli launched an assault on the capital in late August amid unease over reports of the wealthy and extravagant lifestyles of some Tripoli militia commanders.

At the Frontline in Tripoli’s southern residential areas of Wadi Rabea and Fatma Zahra, shelled houses, torched vehicles, destroyed shops and deserted streets attest to the intensity of the clashes.

The fighting has knocked out most power stations in the city and crippled Tripoli’s main airport, Reuters added.

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ICRC to Expand Syria Humanitarian Efforts beyond $100 Mln Program

A logo of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is pictured in Geneva, Switzerland March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
A logo of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is pictured in Geneva, Switzerland March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
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ICRC to Expand Syria Humanitarian Efforts beyond $100 Mln Program

A logo of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is pictured in Geneva, Switzerland March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
A logo of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is pictured in Geneva, Switzerland March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) plans to expand its work in Syria significantly beyond an initial $100 million program, the organization's president said on Monday, citing pressing needs in the health, water and power sectors.
Syria requires $4.07 billion in aid this year, but only 33.1% has been funded, leaving a $2.73 billion gap, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The ICRC's expected expansion follows new access to all regions of the country after the toppling of president Bashar al-Assad last month.
"Our program originally for this year for Syria was $100 million, but we are likely to expand that significantly," ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric told Reuters on the sidelines of a visit to the country.
She said individual donor countries had already come forward with an increase in funding for Syria.
ICRC was one of the few international organizations still operating in Syria under Assad's rule, working on infrastructure projects including water and electricity systems.
"We need to expand that work, we have a lot to do in the health sector," she added.
The organization is engaged in rehabilitation work to sustain water provision at 40% to 50% of what it was before the war, but protection of water facilities remains important as some are close to places where fighting is still under way.
"There are facilities next to the Euphrates Lake that are specific to the protection requirement at the moment," she said.
Initial assessments to begin immediate rehabilitation of Syria’s electricity systems are partly complete, but urgent financial investments and adjustments to sanctions are now required, she added.
"Certain spare parts need to be allowed to come in because that is also hampering the rehabilitation work at the moment. So there's a political dimension to it," she said.
Earlier, people briefed on the matter told Reuters that the US is set to announce an easing of restrictions on providing humanitarian aid and other basic services such as electricity to Syria while maintaining its strict sanctions regime.
On Sunday, Syria's new rulers said US sanctions were an obstacle to the country's rapid recovery and urged Washington to lift them, during a visit by Syrian officials to Qatar.