Chairman of the Presidential Council (PC) Fayez Al-Sarraj, announced late Monday, his intention to undertake a ministerial reshuffling “away from consent and quotas,” indicating that he may have to declare a state of emergency and form a government of crisis.
This came in a televised speech delivered by Al-Sarraj, in conjunction with the outbreak of demonstrations in Tripoli against deteriorating living conditions and rampant corruption.
“I will not allow the legitimacy to fall nor for Libya to enter a dark tunnel,” he underscored, acknowledging his government’s responsibility for the current situation the country has come to, but at the same time, he insisted that the GNA does not have control over the entire Libyan territory.
Al-Sarraj insisted on calling for presidential and parliamentary elections next March. “The only political option to save the homeland is to reproduce the powers through elections,” said Al-Sarraj.
The PC head accused some parties -which he did not name- of taking advantage of the country’s current crisis, citing they do not wish to see elections in the country for their interests, while such a step would help end the struggle over power in Libya, according to his statement.
He declared his readiness to implement any agreement that meets the acceptance and consensus of all Libyan actors, stressing he will implement any proposal that presents a solution to the crisis in the country.
Addressing the mass demonstrations that broke out in Tripoli and other cities, Al-Sarraj called on those protesting not to be dragged into the calls for sabotage, over the deterioration of living conditions, underscoring that he ordered all state agencies to protect the peaceful demonstrators, and only to deal with rioters and thugs.
“Gunmen are infiltrating the peaceful protests and they carried out acts of sabotage and riots to bring down the prestige of the Libyan state,” Al-Sarraj added.
As for the oil crisis, he called for the resumption and export of oil and to stop the starvation policy used to subjugate the Libyan people.
In his speech, he also announced the establishment of a compensation fund for the war-affected areas and called on the Libyan Central Bank to provide liquidity, address the exchange rate system, and fight the parallel market to ensure its effective implementation on the ground.
He also called on the supervisory agencies and institutions to exercise their role in identifying corruption and holding those involved accountable, and the judicial institution and the Attorney General’s office to take firm and decisive measures with all public employee found to be involved in such acts.
The GNA head did not miss to thank his government’s key ally Turkey, which he said had stood with the Libyans at a time when many abandoned them. He stressed they will continue cooperation with Turkey to complete the economic file related to Turkish companies and their return to complete the stalled projects in Libya.