Group of Libyan deputies supports Dbeibah gov't
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah speaks after submitting his candidacy papers for the upcoming presidential election at the headquarters of the electoral commission in Tripoli, Libya Nov. 21, 2021. (Reuters File Photo)


A group of 62 Libyan lawmakers reiterated their support to the interim government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

An initiative unveiled by the lawmakers on Sunday called for an agreement between Libya's legislative and executive authorities in a bid to end the current political impasse in the country.

The deputies also called for holding parliamentary and presidential elections "at the earliest possible time."

The election was meant to be the culmination of United Nations-led efforts to drag Libya out of a decade of conflict since a 2011 revolt against dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

But it was derailed by bitter arguments over divisive candidates – Dbeibah one of them – and a disputed legal framework.

Dbeibah, a business tycoon, took leave as the head of a unity government to contest the elections. His administration is based in the capital Tripoli and was tasked with leading the North African country to the ballot box.

The mandate of the interim government was theoretically meant to end on Dec. 24, but the United Kingdom's embassy in Tripoli has said in a tweet that London "continues to recognize the #Government_of_National_Unity as the authority tasked with leading #Libya to #elections and does not endorse the establishment of parallel governments or institutions."

A separate joint statement by the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and the United States on Dec. 24 insisted that "transfer of power from the current interim executive authority to the new executive authority shall take place following the announcement of the results" of polls when they happen.

The lawmakers suggested that the Dbeibah government remains in power until holding the polls or reaching an agreement between Libya's legislative and executive authorities.

They, however, called for introducing a cabinet reshuffle "in order to enable the government to impose its authority on all Libyan territories."

Last week, Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh said that the mandate of the Dbeibah government has expired and called for forming a new cabinet.

Libyans hope that the upcoming elections will contribute to ending the armed conflict that has plagued the oil-rich country for years.