Libya's Tripoli parliament agrees to join dialogue

Libya’s Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) on Sunday agreed to participate in a UN-sponsored national dialogue, provided that the dialogue is held inside Libya.

“After deliberations, the GNC has agreed to join the dialogue with Libya’s factions, provided that it [the dialogue] is held in Libya, not Geneva,” GNC spokesman, Omar Hemidan, told Anadolu Agency.

“GNC members have agreed that expanding the dialogue will not achieve its goals,” Hemidan added.

He noted that Libya’s revolutionaries, revolutionary leaders and municipal councils had mandated the GNC to represent Libyans in any political dialogue.

The GNC has yet to issue an official statement on its position vis-à-vis the UN-sponsored dialogue.

Libya has remained in a state of turmoil since the fall of the Muammar Gaddafi regime in 2011. Rival militias have frequently clashed in Libya’s main cities, including capital Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi.

Political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government in the country, each of which has its own institutions.

Vying for legislative authority are the internationally-backed House of Representatives, which convenes in the eastern city of Tobruk, and the Islamist-led General National Congress, which – even though its mandate has ended – continues to convene in Tripoli.

The two assemblies support two different governments headquartered in the two respective cities as well as two military entities.

While the House has the support of much of the Libyan army and troops loyal to army commander Khalifa Haftar, the Congress is backed by Islamist militias which helped topple Gaddafi in 2011.