TRIPOLI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based parliament speaker, Aguila Saleh, on Tuesday called for a new unified government to be formed to oversee long-delayed elections, sharpening a standoff with the Tripoli-based administration whose prime minister he insisted should step down.
Speaking during a parliamentary session in Benghazi, Saleh urged lawmakers to accelerate efforts to unify state institutions. Libya has been split since 2014 between rival administrations in the east and west, despite repeated internationally backed efforts at reconciliation.
"The solution to the Libyan crisis lies in holding elections, but this requires a single, unified government accepted by all," Saleh told parliament. He warned that further delays could lead to "chaos and threats to Libya's unity," and called on international and local stakeholders, including the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), to support the process.
Saleh announced that the eastern-based House of Representatives would soon convene to select a new prime minister, inviting foreign ambassadors, UNSMIL representatives, and Libyan civil society groups to observe the session.
The proposal drew sharp criticism from the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU), led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. Following recent clashes between rival armed factions in Tripoli, Saleh declared that Dbeibah should step down "voluntarily or by force."
Libya has remained mired in turmoil since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country is currently divided between the internationally recognized GNU in Tripoli and an eastern administration supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalifa Haftar, who is close to Saleh.
A UN-backed presidential election scheduled for December 2021 was postponed amid disputes over electoral laws and candidate eligibility, deepening the political crisis. The GNU, initially tasked with overseeing the vote, has refused to relinquish power without a mandate from new elections, while eastern factions have insisted on forming a new interim authority. ■
