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By Libya Herald reporters.
Tripoli, 9 October 2015:
One of the members of the negotiating team to the UN peace talks from Libya’s . . .[restrict]recognised parliament, Abubakr Buera, has accused UN envoy Bernardino Leon of crafting a peace plan “at the expense of the Libyan interest”.
In a strongly-worded open letter, Buera, one the House of Representatives (HoR) team on the Libya Dialogue, says Leon also went back on his promise to make no changes to the plan he announced on 21 September.
He said “irregularities” included Leon on Thursday night changing the deal by having six members of the presidential council, instead of five ,and of actually going so far as to recommend the head of the proposed new State Council, when the original plan stipulated that it was for the Council itself to choose the person.
His complaints strike at the heart of criticism levelled at the UN since a clearly exhausted Leon made his late night announcement on Thursday.
The continuing General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli refused to submit names for the premiership, the (what was then) two deputy premiers and the two other state ministers who altogether comprise the Presidency Council, even after Leon told them there could be “no changes” to his plan for a Government of National Accord.
Yet on Thursday night Leon himself announced he had made changes, adding that he was also to insert two further amendments into the document, one concerning Sharia law, the other dealing with amnesties for fighters and officials. He also said that neither parliament would be able to make further changes.
Buera, wrote in his open letter: “It has become clear unfortunately during the past few days, that the representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Leon, would have liked to have the conclusion of the dialogue in any form, even if doing so is at the expense of the Libya’s interest”.
His letter also comes amid concern from the HoR that Leon rejected all their nominations for prime minister, despite giving the assurance that he would choose the candidates from lists submitted by all the parties. Instead, Leon chose Faiez Al-Serraj, a Tripoli HoR member who, while seen as highly competent and well-liked, had not been nominated by any Libyan party to the Dialogue.
Leon himself said on Thursday that the plan was the responsibility of the UN rather than Libyan delegates.
Buera has not yet said that the plan should be accepted or rejected but he is expected to enlarge on his complaints and possible remedies, at a press conference this weekend. [/restrict]
