Speaker of the east-based Libyan parliament Aguila Saleh kicked off on Sunday political efforts aimed at averting attempts by lawmakers to remove him from his post.
He began his efforts in wake of the declaration of MPs, who had met in Morocco’s Tangier last week, that they will hold their next official round of talks in the Libyan city of Ghadames at the end of the week.
Saleh called on the joint military committee (5+5) to determine the best location to hold this meeting and “ensure the safety and security of the lawmakers.”
The speaker released the agenda of the next parliament session, saying it will “tackle the results of the political dialogue in a way that does not contradict the constitutional declaration.”
Commenting on speculation that the Ghadames meeting may be aimed at ousting him, Saleh said that “when a change is requested, then the constitution and law should be consulted.”
He had previously warned the United Nations Support Mission for Libya of attempts aimed at undermining its dialogue efforts, noting the launch of “other dialogue paths.”
He urged the members of the Political Dialogue Forum to prioritize national interests above personal ones.
Moreover, Saleh demanded an end to foreign meddling in Libya, which he said was aimed at reigniting the conflict.
He made his remarks in reference to Turkey’s ongoing support to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
Saleh is preparing to travel to Cairo to meet with senior Egyptian officials.
Libyan lawmakers meeting in Tangiers on Saturday announced that they had reached an agreement that sees the eastern city of Benghazi become the constitutional base for their country’s parliament.
A hundred MPs concluded their consultative talks after five days of discussions aimed at bridging divisions between the country’s divided factions.
They agreed to follow up on their discussions during a parliament session that will be held in Ghadames.
Libya is divided between a parliament that is based in Tobruk in the east and another based in the capital, Tripoli.
